JAN a 3 ]SH
/:
HISTORY
OF
ILLINOIS,
T<J ACCOMPANY AN
HISTORICAL MAP
OF THE yTATE.
By KUFUS BLANCHAKD.
CHICAGO :
NATIONAL SCHOOL FURNISHING COMPANY,
Nos. 34 AND 36 Madison Street.
1883.
f BIBLIOTHECA
COPYRIGHTED.
By RUFUS BLA.NX1IARD.
1888.
r
zees
PREFACE. 3
PREFACE.
Ill ]>reseiitiii^r this work to the Public, and especifdly to
the people of Illinois, we are j^romptetl hy two motives, one
to iiid the student of to-day in fixing the most notable events
in the history and development of the State clearly in the
mind, and tlu- other, still more important, to preserve in con-
densed form fov the future what is known to-day of its his-
tory. The researches of Mr. Blanchard, partly given in his
"History of the Northwest," and his "Historical Map of the
United States," led to this more detailed work on the State of
Illinois, as tlie most permanent and desirable torm of present-
ing the valuable data on the history of tlie State which has
been gathered by him through years of labor.
A trite saying, - stick a pin there," as alluding to the estab-
lishment of a fact and its pro])er location, has been kept in
mind in this work, and Mr. Bla;ichard has stuck pins and
labeled them all over the State, simplitying and localizing its
history, so plainly that "he who runs may read."
THE PUBLISHERS.
INTRODUCTION.
INTKODUCTTON.
Two large vallev> extend into tin- iTinermoHt centre of a
continent, and a hroad plateau oi' fertile soil intervenes between
them. Tliis is Illinois — a connecting link and portage ground
from one of them to the other. Had it been an arid waste or
an impregnate mountain uplift, it would have been a barrier
— a separatrix between them ; Init. in the economy of Nature,
the national interests of Illinois are inseparably connec::ed with
those of Itoth.
From its first discovery, the physical geography of this
country attracted the attention <>f the French, and their early
occupation of it sliows the importance they attached to it.
Three nations have contended for possession of it — Spain.
France and England, but a new nation possesses it by right of
" manifest destiny."
To leave her history out of American records would leave an
unbridged chasm— it would be like cutting off the tap root of
a tree and leaving its trunk without support.
When the Jamesto\\m and Plymouth colonies were contend-
ing witli a stubborn soil, their ambitions limited to their daily
wants, France was laying the dimension stone in the Illinois
country for the central base of her American empire, and to
this end she built Ft. Chartres here, the most impregnable
fortress then known in the Western World. These high hopes
6
INTKODUCTION.
tliat .slie then cherished have been realized — not hy her, hut hy
a new nation, and it is not too mueli to say that the history of
Illinois records a past and j)resages a future that tinds a par-
allel oidy in tlie history of the United States, of which it forms
80 important a part, and anything that aft'ects her affects the
whole. If the centre is jarred, the < ircumference is shaken.
Youth of Illinois : You who are to inherit such responsi-
bilities may laudably feel a State pride which will lieighten
your ambition to do honor to her name.
THE AUTHOR.
Wheaton, June, 1883.
Al THOUITIKS ('()XSlI/li:i».
AUTHORITIES ( ONSITLTEI).
State ])iiper;^ niul puhlir <l(»cuin('iit>, the ciirretit historic iit-
♦■ratuiT <.f the Xorthwe.-t. aiid luaiiv raiv wcirks now out ut' print
have been at inv coininaiKl in the preparation of tliis Avork.
But besides all these. I owe lastino- oi>li^^ati<jns to ^Mr. J. G.
Shea, of New York, whose contribution cites authorities not
to be .piestioned regarding,' tlie settlement of Kaskaskia. Tills
will confer a favor on many writers who liave lieretofore I)een
in doubt, l)oth as to tlie date and circumstances attendincr this
early settlement and mission ; to Mr. 11. ^V. P.eckwith. of
Danville. III.. Mhose chapter on the Indian tribes <»f Illinois,
with maps accompanying, is compiled from researches of many
yeai's in tliis department of the history of our State ; to Mr.
E. ]\I. Haines, of Waukegan, III., whose chapter on the Indian
names of Illinois will be gratefully received by all wlio wish to
retain these examples of tlie beauty and euphony of the Al-
gonquin language ; to Mr. Josej^h Gillespie, of Edwardsvilie,
III., whose contribution on early settlements is made largely
from his personal knowledge, he having come to the State in
1819 ; to Mr. Aaron AV. Kellogg, of Springfield, for his article
on the powers and responsibilities of the State offices, and the
duties of each department mi the present government of the
State ; to Mr. Milo Erwin. of Marion, for information regard-
ing the route of General George Rogers Clarke to Kaskaskia
** ALTUOltlTIKS CONSULTED.
.•UMl ^'iiicennes ; and. finally, t<. tlie manv .-.ivly settlers tjin.u-h-
'•«it flu" Stat<; Nvlu.Mi I have l.a.l tlio pleasure to nieet an.l Zu-
suit, and whose valued ai<I has enabled me t.. date and l„eate
...any events that enhan.v th.. vaiur of the unrk, an.l in some
cases establish liistorical data that n.i^^d.t utlnM-uiM. hav,. I„vn
lost.
JAMKHToWN-HL.YMt)U'rH.
CHAPTEll I.
DISCOVERY.
Tlie student of history (U'lij^hts in ;i gooii fouiKliitioii on
which to start to write history, without which, it is like hegin-
ninir in the middle of u storv.
Jauiestowu was the startiuij place tor American National
History. The men wlio in KIOT settled there were loyal to
Englisii institutions and to cvervthini^ that was Kii<,dish
whether it was law, reliij^ion <»r ])olitics. Somt- of them were
too lazy to work hut not too lazy to iij^ht, some <>f them could
do hotli. all of them were pets of the English Government, and
subsequently this colony was theHrst to re])el French aggres-
sion when tlie territorial issue between France and England
came up in 1753.
The settlemetit of W20 at Plymouth was the next. The
men who comj)ose<l this were essentially diU'erent froTU the
Jamestown colonists. The sublime princij)les of English
liberty to them were no empty name. They meant every thing
they said, and to them they meant religious as well as civil
liberty. That they were ]iioneers in both, the sequel proved,
for thouffh thev were at first a sort of elephant on the hands of
the crown that it was glad to get rid of, they subsequently led
the way to reforms and improvements in State affairs that the
parent government was forced by the progress of civilization
to adopt. They also laid the foundation of our American in-
stitutions as they are to day, and the laws of Illinois as well
as those of all other States of the Union are the fruitage of the
eecd they planted on the coast of Massachusetts, but moditied
10 GULF OK .ST. l.AWUKNCK DISCOVKKKl).
to suit the demands nt'a more practical ngi', and an age of still
liroadcr eliirious freedom tiian they ever tliought of or would
have ad ocated. The seed they planted grew into a larger tree
than the parent plant, and all because the soil of tlie west was
richi'r and its fields larger. Hence the source of the political,
social, religious and educational laws and customs of Illinois,
tor these ixrcw from the church, the scluxd-house and from
iireside attractions that make the young and the old love their
homes. The history of all this is made interesting by even the
pictures on the walls of these homes. Our poetry, our romance
and our drama are based on this histoiw, and even our fimily
]>ride would lose its point if not associated with its grandeur.
The discovery and exploration of the Illinois Country, as it
■was called at first, forms a chapter in history full of varied
material for the historic pen. Spain took the lead in American
discoveries <luring the reign of Charles V., who was then the
most ])owei-ful monarch of Europe. The large amounts of gold
brought l)v his fleets from the new world, stimulated the ambi-
tion of the French king to participate in western adventures, and
to this end an expedition was planned to ex[>lore its northern
coast sufficiently remote from the S})anish claims of Florida not
to coTue in competition with with them. The command of thu
expedition was given to Jacques Cartier. it sailed from St. Malo
in the spring of 1534, Charles Y. protested against its sailing
to make discoveries in the new world which he claimed as the
heritage of Spain alone, to which Francis the French king re-
plied "I should like to see the clause in Father AdjimV will and
testament which becpieaths to S])ain alone so vast •«:. lieritage."*
The (xiilf of St. Lawrence was entered directly after the ar-
rival of ('artier's fleet and lu' named it after the Saint whose
name i I bears. The following spring he returned, ])ushed his
way tip the St. Lawrence rivei- and wintered in the vicinity
of Quebec among the Indians who entertained their new guests
with the best they had. As soon as navigation opened the
♦Graham's Colonial History.
QUEBEC SETfLED. 11
next spring Cartier returned to France and reported wliat he
had seen.
Tlie great hi<j^hway to tlie interior had been opened to view,
but it a[)j»eared like a barren discovery fur it was not then
known what hiid beyond the rock-clad headlands of the St.
Lav/rence, and it was not till 1608 that the French colonized
their possessions on its banks. This was done under King
Henry IV. by Samuel de Chaniplain at Quebec. Here began
on the waters of the St. Lawrence the work of exploration
destined ^ .I'ing to light tlie entire Valley of the Mississippi
to which it was at that time tlie only avenue, for the Spanish
guarded the Gulf of Mexico with a jealous eye. and to have ap-
proached the interior across the country would not have been
allowed by the Five Nations or Iroquois, who then held the
intervening country between it and the Hudson river as far
south as tlie Allei;lienv mountains.
Chaniplain established French authority at Quebec and as soon
as the natural obstacles to further explorations would admit of it
French missionaries and French fur traders pushed forward
into the interior and established forts and mission houses.
In 1615 Chani[)lain himself on a tour of exploration discovered
Lake Huron and named it after a tribe of Indians on its sliores.
In 164-1 French- missionaries h'ad reached the outlet of Lake
Superior, and in 165S traders had reached its western extrem-
ity and made the acquaintance of the Sioux — the same war-
like nation whose descendants, under their chief Sitting Bull,
overwhelnied the army of General Custer among the Black
Hills in 1877. killin-ir all Imt one of them. From them the
first tidiuirs of "• the areat river that flowed southward to the
»
^'g
sea," came to the French. This intbrmation stimulated their
zeal to ex])lore it. and to this end Father Manjuette, a priest,
and Joliet. a trader, under patronage of Talon. Intendent
of Canada while Frontenac was Governor, started witli two
canoes and five service men from the mission of St. Ignace,
opposite the island of Maeiuac. Holding their course along the
12 niSCOVERY OF THK MISSISSII'I'I.
northern shore of Lake Michip^an, they soon entered the waters
of Green Bay, and arrivinii^ at its liead they rested a short time
at the mission of St. Francis Xavier. whicli liad been estab-
lished fonr years provionsly. From this outermost limit of
French occupation they took tlieir final departure from the
abodes of civilization into tlie great unknown wilderness before
them. By the advice of the Indians they were directed into
the path which led to the elbow in tlie Wisconsin river at the
present site of T*ortage. Here tliey launched their two bark
canoes into the riv^er and continued oti their way till its mouth
was reached in the rolling surges of the Mississippi, whose
turbulent waters contrasted strangely with the AViscoiisin,
wliich held its quiet course sometimes under the brow of a
precipice and sometimes in a deep channel througli prairie
sand-bars. Marquette was delighted with the discovery of
"tlie great river." then without a name, and he christened it
the Conception River in honor of his patron saint, " the
Blessed Yirsin." The discoverv was made on the iTtli of
Jui>e. 1<)T:'). Down its current the travelers passed through
the great am])litude of wild nature that spread out in limitless
prairies on either side, and on which countless herds of buffiilo
found pasturage. No signs of human life had yet been seen
in the immense country through which they had passed since
they l<'ft the mission house at Green Bay, but on their arrival
at the mouth of the Des Moines river human foot-prints were
discovered on its banks.
This excited the explorers, especially Marquette, whose chief
object was to bring the light of the gospel to new naticms,
while that of Joliet was to open a way for French alliances
with the inhabitants of the country, with an ultimate view of
occupying it jointly with the natives after they had been con-
verted to Christianity under the teaching of the Tuissionaries.
The loving relations between the French and the Indians were
always consistent with this theory, but fortune in the future
had a different fate in store for both. The footprints seen by
DISCX)VKKY UK THE MISSISSiri'l. 1 ^^
the ex])lorers were followed, and after two leagues tlnve liidi!ii.
villages were seen on the bunks of the Des Moines. They
were ol the Peoria trihe of the Illinois Indians, and now an
i»!t»M'view between the Frencli and these tribes is about to
take ]>lace. Soon as the iip})r'>!i(di of the strangers had at-
tracted tlie attention of the villagers, lour chiefs advanced to
meet them. "AN lio are you'f" called out Marquette in Algon-
quin dialect. '■ AVe are Illini,"' replied one ot their chiefs.
This Wiird in their language meant men, and therefore the
word Illini was not intended to be understood in a generic
sense by tliem, b\it ?s signilicant of the liumane intentions
which they vouchsjifed towards their distinguislicd guests, and
which j)rofession they never dishonored in their future inter-
course with them They also intended by this reply to dis-
tinguish themselves from the Iroquois, whom they stignuitized
as beasts on account of their cruel modes of warfare, the force of
which they had felt. A pleasant interview followed, in which
the Indians entertained their visitors with the best varieties of
food their hands could prepare, among which the "delicious"
dog meat was not forgotten. The rest was made U]) of bufhilo
meat, iish and hominy.
Marquette never lost an opportunity to advocate Christianity
to his savage hearers, and on this occasion told then) of the
crucifixion of Christ and the })lan of salvation, all of which
was politely received by his untutored audience, whose desire
to cultivate the good will of the French was stimulated by fear
of the Iroquois, from whose invasions they looked to thtm tor
protection.
AVith friendship on both sides the explorers took their leave
the next morning, which was the 25th of June, and continued
their course down the river.
On arriving at the mouth of the Ohio, a roving band of
Indians were met. They were armed with guns, ])robably
i.'btained from the English colonists. A few pleasant courte-
sies were exchanged with them, and the travelers passed on
14 DISCOVERY OF TIIK MISSISSIPPI.
and were soon buried in the irlooniv forests ot cotton wood
that shadow tlie hanks of this river in its innnensity helow tlie
mouth of the Ohio — majestic in its monotony and grand in
its solitude.
Through these silent reahns they made their way along with
the current to the vicinity of the Arkansas i-iver, where the
scene changed. Here was life again, .uid a ditlerent ])eople.
The young men assailed them with their war cluhs, hut hap-
pily the old men came to the rescue in time to ])revent any
damage by ordering a suspension of hostilities. Pendinij this
new danger, Mar(|uette presented the calumet and called upon
tlie Holy Virgin to protect them, and in his devotion gave to
her all the ijclorv for their deliverance.
A friendly interview followed, and the ex])lorers were con-
ducted with much ceremony to the houses of the natives and
feasted with tish and hominy, the dishes from which they ate
being earthenware of native manufacture. The night was
spent among them, thougli not without misgivings as to the
abiding character of the hastily improvised friendship which
these southern tribes had made up.
The ever-ready gospel was dispensed tu them through an in-
terpreter who understood the Hlinois tongue in whicli ]\Iar-
quette addressed his passionless audience, and the next day,
which was the 10th of July, the explorers started on their
return.
From what they had already seen, tliey were convinced that
the '• great river " emptied into the Gulf of Mexico, and to go
farther would be exceedingly dangerous, not only from the In-
dians, but from Spanish exj)lorers who might be encountered
oil the lower waters of the river.
Constant toiling at the oar in a frw weeks brought them to
the mouth of the Illinois river, into which they entered and
kept up the stream till tiie village of the Kaskaskias, near the
present site of Utica, was reached. Here they Avere again re-
ceive<l with true Illinois friendship of no doubtful character.
i)iscovp:kv ok tiik ciiicAGor pokta(;k. 16
After the iTievitiible feast of sapamite (hominy), added to which
was tin; equally inevitable l)lessiii<r of the pious missionary, the
iourne\ was a<;ai;i re^^umcul under an escort of Indian ijfuides
wlio dunteered to accompany tlie Frenchmen to the C'hieai^ou
portaii'i'. 'Twas in the month of Se])temherM'hen they arrived
at the ])!ace, then a l)road waste of trrass and prairie liowers,
channeled l>y two lazy ^treams that met from ojtjiositc direc-
tions and. united, flowed, or ratlK-r formed :i connection, witli
the lake. Thi> was Chicago as nature made it and as these
men. wlio were unquestionably its tirst discoverers, saw it. The
Indians ;ind tlie Frenchmen here parted company, the former
starting back to tlieir home, and the hitter coasting along the
west bank of Lake ^lichigau toward Canada. On arriving at
a point <tpposite the mission of St. Francis Xavier. Marquette,
being sadly in need of rest, in consequence of sickness, took
refuge at the mission-house, while Joliet continued on his I'oute
to Ciinada to report what the two had discovered to Frontenac,
the governor. On the 25th of the following October. Father
Marquette was ))artiallv recovered from his maladv. and set out
on a return tri]) to visit the Kaskaskia village on the Illinois
river. Two vountj Frenchmen, Pierre and Jactiues. and a del-
egation of Indians sufficiently numerous to Ull ten canoes, ac-
com}»anied him. Their route was across a narrow neck of land
intervening bt'tween the liead of Green Bay and Lake Mic.ii-
gan by a jyortage. tin ..ce along tlie shore of tlie lake to the
Chicago rivor.
'Twas the -ith of December when he arrived at this then
desolate ])ortage. The river was sheeted over with ice, which
sus])ended canoe navigation, but what was far more unfortun-
ate, the Father was again prostrated by a return of his malady.
To proceed Avas im]M)ssible, and to remain at the comfortless
place was a grievous, but tlie only alternative.
.V cabin was built, probably on the south ranch of the
Chicago river towards its source, which at that time was what
has since been called Mud Lake. This lake was a succession
16 DKATII OK MAKyUE'lTE.
ofsldughrt coniiectiiiijf with the Desphiines river, and tormmg
«;uod canoe naviijati n all tlie way in lii<;h water, but <luring
till' summer months was drained of its surplus waters and left
a sta<;Tiant })ool. 'J'he two faithful companions of the invalid
did their best to keep him eomfortahle as far as the hasty cabin
which they nnide lor him could do it. The Father kept a
journal, and from it we learn that roving bahds of Indians
sometimes visited him and brought game, and that nijt far
distant a trader had recently established a j)ost, and he some-
times brought such succor to the missionary as tlie wilderness
afforded.
AVinter did not break till late in March, on the 30th of
which month, says the jouriial, tlie ground on which the cabin
stood Avas ovei'tlowed by an excessive I'ain, and they were forced
to leave the spot for a more elevated one. The last item on
his journal bears date of April Oth, and two days later he was
at the Kaskaskia village, near where Utica now stands, from
which it woidd appear that the freshet had carried the canoe
in which they traveled rapidly to the ])lace.
Here the devout missionary exerted himself tt) his utmost
limit to establish a mission among the Illinois tribes, who ap-
pear to have won his solicitude from the Urst. He named the
mission The Immaculate Conception, and spent his last vital
enei'gies in it to bring to the understanding of his willing but
unteachable hearers the Christian plan of salvation.
Alter remaining a few days with his savage tiock, he felt
that he could barely survive long enough to reach Canada, and
he with his companions started on their return. They chose
iheir route along the eastern shore of Lake Michigan. On
arriving at the place now known as Sleeping Bear Point, he
died at their ])laceof eneam])ment on the shore, and was buried
by his attendants. The next year his remains were disinterred
ItA' a band of Indians, carried to the Mission of Saint Ignace,
just o))j)osite Mackinaw, and buried beneath the chapel with
impressive ceremony. In 1877 an attempt was made to dis-
mak(^ukttk's remains. 17
cover his bones, which resulted in finding two <»f' tlu-ni only.*
The record of liis discovery of the Mississij)])! will he as en-
dnring as onr literature. It forms tlie ojtening cha])ter of our
f^tate history, and canni>t fade into oblivion as long as onr na-
tion lasts.
* BlHnt^burd's Northwest. Chap. I.
>
18 l.A SAM.K.
CHAPTER II.
THE FUEN( H T\ ILLINOIS.
Wlieii Joliet p;ii't('(l I'lom Marqiuitte ;it (rreen Bay, as tolcf
ill tlif torcj^oiiig cliiipter. lie kt'ptoii his route towards Canada,
st(.iij»iiii:- i»n till' w;iy at Fort Fronttjiiiic, at the outlet of Lake
Outan'o. Here he met Robert de La Salle, who held eom-
luaud of the place. Already he had distinguished himself by
his discovery of the Ohio river five years previously, and it is
hardly to be doubted that the two explorers conferred together
as to the geography of the country, and especially as to tlu
new discovery of the Mississippi, of M'hich Joliet had ample
notes and maps, just made by himself, while treading the iirst
])athway made by white men throrgli the interior.
After leaving Fort Frontenac. Joliet had the misfortune to
lose all the records of his discovery by t)ie upsetting of liis
canoe in the St. Lawrence river, just above Montreal, and
throtigh the delay occasioned b}-- this accident, or soine other
cause not now known, no otticial account of his discovery was
published till 1681, at which date it appeared on Thevenot's
map, issued at Paris, and reproduced by various others since.
Marquette drew a map of the •' Conception river,"' together
with the outlines of the lakes, which was a marvel of accuracy
considering the material lie had to work with. It has lieen
republished by Shea, and copied from his reprint by many
others. The original is now in St. Mary's College, Montreal.
After the interview between Joliet and La Salle, the latter
at once determined to utilize the work so auspiciously begun
by extending the exploration of the Mississippi to its mouth,
THE GBIKFIN. 19
and ultimately establishing acolony there. The St. Lawrence
valley, the lake country, and the entire valley <»f the Missis-
slp])i were Imt the limits of his ambition. On these France
was to be reprtxliH'cd in the New World, and the Illinois
conntry was to be the central Ik^sc of operations wherewith to
accomplish these designs. The lirst step to be taken in this
direction was to secure a foothold at the eastern extremity of
Lake Erie by building a fort at the place.
The Senecas, an Iroquois tribe, held this country at the
time, and it required no small amount of persuasion, accom-
])anied with several '• fathoms of tobacct> " and other presents,
to overcome the misgivings of these Indiims as to the policy
of allowing the fort to be built, but La Salle was equal to the
emf^rgency, obtained their consent, and built the fort in 1678,
at the mouth of the Niagara river.
The next year he built a vessel above the falls and named it
The Uriffin. She was launched early in the spring, and in
the following summer was loaded with her cargo, which con-
sisted of a forge, ship carpenter's tools, and the iron work for
a vessel to be built on the banks of the Illinois river. With
this vessel La Salle intended to go down the Mississip])i river
to its inouth, and there estal)lish a colony with which to hold
the whole country drained by its waters.
Witli this design he set sail in the Grifiin on the 7th of
August, 1679. Thirty-four men joined him, most of whom
were those enlisted in his service. Tonty, his faithful lieu-
tenant, and four priests, prominent among whom was Henne-
pin, were included in the number. The vessel safely arrived
at Green Bay, wliere her cargo was unloaded and transferred
to small boats, thence to be transported to the Illinois river
with the men, while the Griffin was loaded with a cargo of
furs and sent back to the place from whence she came.
At thai; time there were two traveled routes from the Illi-
nois river country to Lake Michigan, both of which were older
than history. One was by the way of the Desplaines and
20 KoKT (KKVK »<KIB.
("hicii<;o rivern. between which was a portage of about nine
miles, except in verv liigh water, at wliich time Mud Lake
e«»miecte(i the two. The otlier was by the way of the St.
.losepli river to the ell)ow wliere South Bend, Indiana, now is,
thence by a portage to the source of the Kankakee river, and
<h)wn it to the Illinois. La Salle chose the latter, and, after
much detention bv storm, he with his whole i'on:e arrived at
tlie broadening ot the Illinois river, where Peoria now is,
about tlie first of January, 1«»80. Time was precious with
him, and it was important that he should set about his work
immediately. IJut before it could be begun, consent from the
Indians to build a tort must be obtained, and consent to build
a vessel was equally necessary before the work could safely be
attempted. This was readily obtained from the pliant Illi-
nois, and the work was begun. The fort, wliich was only a
stockade of logs, was soon finished, and this was the first thing
done on the soil of Illinois witli a view to permanent occu{)a-
tion. It was situated on the eastern bank of the river, at the
southern extremity of Peoria Lake, and named Fort Creve
Coeur — Broken Heart. It was probably so named to memorize
the hardships that had crossed the path of La Salle while con-
centrating his force and materials at this spot in the dej)ths of
a continent.
The keel was laid for the intended vessel near by the fort,
but be "ore work on it ha(i advanced far, some of his men de-
serted, partly for want of pay, and, perhaps. ])artly thi-ough a
disjiosition to cut loose from restraint in the broad creation of
savage freedom then omnipresent in the Illinois country.
This unlooked for hindrance made it necessary to suspend
work on the vessel, but the end in view was not lost sight of,
and La Salle determined to return to Canada to enlist a fresh
force of men.
On the first of March he started with five companions, one
of whom was an Indian. Winter still hung over the country,
and the small streams were not yet released from its icy grasp,
UKKOISM UV TONTY. 31
and wlu-n the travelers had reached tlie upper tributaries tit'
thr Illiii(»is river tlie canoes by wliicli they came had to he
abandoned, and all tlieir supplies, including camp outlits,
packed on their shoulders. When the western extremity ot'
Lake pj'ie was reached, a can«)e \v\., made witli which to per-
form the rest ot" their journey by water, and in it La Salle and
one ot' the men embarked, atter sending the other four up the
Detroit to Michilimacinac to rest, for they were spent with
fatigue and sickness. La Salle arri%'ed at Fort Krontenac on
the 0th of May. While he had been painfully toiling on foot
through tlie oozy savannas of the forest to reach C.anada for
new recruits of men, disasters had been accumulating at the
base of his operations in the front. Soon after his dei)arturu
nearly the whole remaining force not only deserted but dis-
mantled the fort and threw its contents into the river. This
was done during the temporary absence of Tonty, whom he
had left in command. Only six of the entire force had re-
mained faithful, two of whom were priests. With these the
heroic Tonty put forth his best efforts to inspire the respect of
his savage companions till the return of La Salle to carry out
his projects, for it was essential to his success to retain a foot-
hold here. The deserters had done their worst, and the sum-
mer passed in the listless inaction of Indian communities
when there is nothing to do but to cultivate a patch of corn,
but on the 10th of Septeral)er, sudden as a clap of thunder in
a clear sky, came an Iroquois invasion. By a liappy chance
this advancing army had been espied in the distance at least a
day's march away, and the news was carried in hot haste by
fleet-footed runners to the Illinois village.
They were in no condition to defend themselves, but Tonty,
who was their friend, just before the battle took it upon him-
self to act the part of a mediator, and even after the skirmish-
ing had begun, interposed between the two armies and ad-
vanced into the Iroquois camp.
22 IR<>VroI8 INVASION.
The buttle was siispeiidLMl \>y tliis (hiriii^^act, and the furious
warriors gathered around him, soiiu- Iteiitou killing him, while
others, more considerate, lent an ear to his projiosals. In vain
he put forth his etiorts to intimidate the haughty warri(jrs hy
exaggerating the force of his allies, they were not to l»e balked
of their prey, and Tonty was allowed to retire, hut bleeding
with a wound which a faithless warrior liad given him in a lit
of rage at liis etfrontery.
It was evident to Tonty that the Illinois wouM be worsted
in the encounter, and inasmuch as his presence would not save
them, he with his live coinpanit)ns started for the mission
liouse at (ireen Bay. The Illiiujis tied down the river before
their foes, leaving everything they possessed behind, the most
valuable part of whicli was their corn. This was destroyed by
the ruthless invaders, who then returned to their hunting
ground.s^ — the present State of New York — taking M'ith them
a large number of female prisoners who fell into their hands
as tiie spoils of war. These were promptly idopted into
their tribe as supernumerary wives for the warriors of the
expedition.
At the lirst night's encampment of Tonty's party, Fatlier
Kibourde strolled away a short distance for prayer and medi-
tation, when a renegade band of Ivickapoos killed him, ])er-
haps to win his seal}) to dangle froir one of their belts as an
ornament, added to whicli might be the sacred cross a' the
Father desecrated into an Indian trinket.
Tonty's party reached their destination after the loss of
Ribourde, but not witliout hardships and starvation, that taxed
tlieir endurance to its utmost limit, and here the discomfited
fugitives rested for the winter.
La Salle had been successful in raising new recruits for his
enterprise, and in his haste to reach the Illinois country had,
with seven companions, pushed forward in advance, while the
heavy material was being transported by the main body.
»UC'<;l!>i.S UK I. A .>ALLK. 23
On arrivirii^ at the Illinois villaj^r, iristfatl of an f,\|«'('t»'<l
|jr«'»'tiiii; Iroin trieiuis, the scene <>t' tlu* lute liest ruction that Imd
aijiiiii thwarted his plans ojteiied het'ore him in diiinh silence.
There were no si<^n> ot' liuinan life there, Imt when ni^lit
came tiie yelp,- of wolves (jii:;rrelin<; o\er the spoils of the
battle-field hroki' harshly n[>oii its silence. Meantime the fate
of Tunty hniii; in painful suspense, hut a> no trace of his l»ody
conld Ix' t'ound anioui; the ruins, li<ipe pari ially relieved fear
that lie was amoiifjf tlie slain.
La Salle with hi> party now retraced their steps to Fort
Miamis, at the mouth «»f the St. rioseph river, where he met
his advancing men. and liere they all spent tlie winter.
The next sprinj^ La Salle set about the accomplishment (»f
liis ])lans. Instead <»f a vessel, canoes were to be used, manned
with Frenchmen and Indian allies. The preparations for even
this simple mode of transportation required tlie whole sum-
mer and the followinir autumn.
The Indian tribes had to l»e conciliated, and an alliance
fonned between the Miamias and the Illinois for mutual jjro-
tection against the Iroquois, which, stren<;thened by French
alliance, satisfied the Western tribes, and they all acquiesced
in La Salle's plans.
The mouth of the St. J()sei)h river was the place of rendez-
vous, and late in December had <!;athered there a convention of
Indians, from whom La Salle selected 18. wlio. added to his 23
Frenchmen, made a force of 41 men; but among the Indians
were 10 of their wives and three children, a requisition on tlie
part of the red volunteers that La Salle did not see fit to dis-
allow, thougli such an incumbrance must have been distasteful
to liim.
Tonty, who had been heard from and summoned to the spot,
led the advance, starting on the 21st of December along the
southern shore of Lake Michigan. The •' Chicagou " route
had been determined on as the most direct, on arriving at
which place the river was found to be frozen over. But little
24 I.A SAI.I.K A r lllK Mol III ilK TllK MlShlSSl I'l'l
detention was csiUised hy thif*, for Toiity ^cr liis men :ir, woj-k
milking sledges tor tr'xnsportutioii ; ;iiid canoes, l»jigg;ige, piip-
pooses and cam}) eipiipage were loaded on them and liauled
by tlie men rapidly over river and portage, till open water was
readied on tin; Illinois. Here the sledges were abandone<l
and tlie canoe tlotilla lannehed. which was to bear its diversi-
fied crew to distant and Tiid<nown lands, there to take posses-
sion of a destined Frencli empire.
It arrived at tlie month of the Mississippi April »!, l.f)8i{,
and here a hwtre cross was erected and a plate of lead ]>uried
beside it, as monuments of French possession of the Missis-
sippi valley. Prayers, chants and shouts followed, in which
latter the guttural jargon c^f the Indians was mingled, prob
ably with as little sense of the situation as the ronring of the
sea that rolled its sur:'es against this lonesome solitude. The
country was named Louisiana, in honor of Louis XVI., and
the explorers left the historic spot to tug their way u{) the cur-
rent of the Mississippi.
On their arrival at the Illinois coimtry, Tonty was consti-
tuted ijovernor of it by La Salle, and now bejjan the otticial
line of organized government here, though there was nothing
to govern at the time except a few zealous priests, who needed
no restraint, and a large number of Indians whom no legal
forms could restrain, added to whom were a score of fur-
traders, untractable and lawless as birds of passage, and almost
as transient in their erratic wanderings.
The first thing to do was to build a fort, without which no
auchority could exist even in form The site for this was
chosen on what is now the summit of Starved Rock, near
Utica, on the Illinois river. This was done in December,
1(JS2, and christened Fort St. Louis It pi'oved a refuge of
safety, around which the Illinois tribes leathered with confi-
«lence, and aixain the rich vallevs which its heights overlook
swarmed with Indian life, bidding defiance to Iroquois inva-
sion from under the guns of French allies.
FKKNCU AM) KNULJSII KIVAI.Ii\ , 25
The ctiiise of these invasions grew out of English rivalry in
the tur trade. Dougan. tlie colonial governor of New York,
furnished the Inxj^uois with the material wherewith to make
tiiem, and these detiant warriors were ever ready to do liis bid-
ding, for they were dependent on the Englisli for guns and
ammunition as well as many rude implemetits of civilization,
of which they liad been tnught the use.* In like manner such
Indians as were in alii;.. ice with tlie French espoused tlieir
cause against the English, and often made hostile incursions
from Canada into the frontier English settlements adjacent.
Governor Dongan's headquarters were at Albany, and from
here he sent out men to interce])t the trade of the F'rench along
the lakes, for even in this early day the Western trade was a
coveted prize between the French of the .'t. Lawrence and the
English of the Hudson river. This trade has now multiplied
a thousand ft>ld in value, and is chieHy secured to the Ameri-
<-aus by the Erie canal and the various railroads that connect
Illinois with the Atlantic seaboard.
On the return of La Salle to the Illinois country after his
exploration of the Mississippi, he learned with painful regrets
that P^'ontenac had been recalled from the governorship of
Canada, and La Barre put in his place. He was no friend to
La Salle, but, on the contrary, an enemy. He used his official
authority against him by stopping all supplies from Canada
intended for the Illinois country, which had now become the
base of operations of the French in the interior, from which
advances could be made to carrv out anv desiijns of P^rench
aggrandizement in the valley of the Mississippi, and if only a
moderate effort could be made to keep a few men there sixp-
plied with ammunition, the trading interests would take care
of themselves and bring a revenue to the French crown.
In vain La Salle besoutrhtthe new Governor to sustain him in
cairving out this policy. He was im])ervions to his entreaties,
and sneered at his labors and Idk plans as worse than useless.
*Doc. Hist, of New York.
26 LA SAM.K IN TKXAS.
La Salle now determined to go to France and make an ap-
peal to the kin^, and with this resolution left the Illinois-
country late in the autumn of 1883 for Canada. <^)n his way
he met a delegation from La Barre, under command of De
KiiUgis, armed with authority to assume command of Fi»rt 8t.
Louis, and act as jrovernor of the countrv. Tontv submitted
to his authority, and there appears to have been a good under-
standing between him and the new governor. T(jnty, with
his characteristic force and courage, repelled an Iroquois inva-
sion which soon followed, although he was withonc official
authority.
La Salle sailed for France, reached the ear of the king, and
through the influence of his friends, together with his own
force of purpose, secured the royal favor.
Now the tables were turned. Tonty was restored to the
governorship of the Illinois coiintry, and La Salle himself was
put in command of a fleet to sail for the mouth of the Missis-
sippi and establish a French colony at the place. By mistake
the fleet landed at Metagorda Bay, on the coast of Texas.
Here the ill-fated colony languished for two years, at which
time they were almost exhausted by disease and death, ;uid
La Salle formed the resolution of going back to the Illinois
country to obtain succor. Selecting a few hardy companions
he started, but was assassinated by one of his own men on the
l)anks of the Trinity river. Seven of his party reached the
Illinois in safety, but the hapless colony all perished in their
forlorn hermitaire. Tontv meantime held command at his
post, protecting French interests there and establishing an
authorit}- which, but for the fortunes of the French and Indian
war of the next century, would have made Illinois a French
State, siibject to a French king. The French settlements of
Southern Illinois were permanent, and were the first substan-
tial results of the foregoing discoveries and explorations.
Much uncertainty has hitherto existed as to the date of the
commencement of these settlements, but the following para-
SErrLEMENT OK KASKASKIA. 27
j^niph which Mr. ,J. G. Shea has given t(» the writer will settle
the (juestioii:
''THK MISSION OK THE IMMACII.ATK CONCEmoN AMONd THE
KASKASKIAS."
"• Tills mission dates from September, HtlH, when Father
Marquette visited the Kaskaskias at their town on tlie upper
Illinois river. Tt l)ore the name Kaskaskia. and consisted of
sixty-nine cabins.*
'• Tt was on the Illiju)i.-' river, about six miles below the
•nouth of the Fox river.-j- Having jn'omised to return and
establish a mission ainon^ them, he set out in Xoveniber,
1674, wintered at Chicago, and on Easter, 1675, reached Kas-
kaskia, beginning the mission under the name of the Immacu-
late Conception. ;|; Finding his malady increasing, he en-
deavored to reach Macinac, but died on the way. Father
Claude AHouez renewed the mission April 27th, 1()77, and
continued it till La Salle's expedition reached Illinois. The
Rec(dlects began a mission at Fort Creve Cceur, l)ut none at
Kaskaskia, and the mission there soon closed. Allonez sub-
sequently returned, and was succeeded in ir»90 by Father
James Gravier, who established the mission on a firm basis
about l(i93.||
" \yhen the French began a settlement at the month of the
Mississippi in 1H99, several northern tribes prepared to go
down and settle there. The Kaskaskias went to the Missis-
sippi in 1700, but w'ere induced to wait and settle at the pres-
ent Kaskaskia.^ The mi ->ion and town retained the old name.
••THE MISSION AT CAHOKIA AND TAMAKOA.
" This mission was founded about 1700 by Father Francis
Pinet, but the next year the mission was transferred from the
*Discovfrj' of the Mississippi, p. 51.
+Le('kTcque, Vol. II, p. 117.
^Discovery of the ilississippi, p. 56.
IGravier's Kclation, 1693.
^Gravier's Journal du Voyage.
28 FORT CIIAKTKKS.
Jesuits to priests sent from the semiiiarv of Quehec. Rev.
Mr. Burgiir was the Urst. After a time they conliTied tiiem-
selves to the care of the French settlers and left tlio Indians to
the Jesuits.* The Quebec priests remained at Tamaroa till
the fall of French power."
Nut long alter the settlements of Kaskaskia and Cahokia,
the circumstances of which have just been told by Mr. Shea,
other French towns were established near by tliem, altogfther
constitutiui; a thriving settlement midwav between Canada
and the settlements at the mouth of the Mississippi river. To
protect them Fort Chartres was built, being finished in IT'iO.
It was at that time the strongest fort in Xortli America.
Some relics of it still remain as a monument of French power
in Illinois, but part of it has been undermined b^'the wearing
away of the river bank, while much of the stone of which it
was originally built has been ap])ropriated for private use. No
hostile shot was ever fired against its walls, and if French
power had been as invulnerable against attack at her outermost
limits as at this place, she would have remained tlie great
power in America till political revolution had wrought what
foreign foes were unable to do.
*Shea's Catholic Mission, pp. 421-2.
THE OHIO COMPANY. 29
CHAin^ER III.
ILLINOIS UM)1:J{ ENGLISH RULE.
From the previous chapter it is seen that French posses-
sions in America extended from the Gulf of St. Lawrence to
the Gulf of Mexico, inchiding in its still but partially ex-
plored territory the wliole country drained 1;y the vi^t. Law-
rence and Mississippi rivers.
The English colonies were then confined U> a narrow belt
of land along the x\tlantie coast, insignificant in size couijiared
to the French possessions.
As each of these nationalities increased in numbers and ex-
tended their settlements, the boundary question between them
came uj), and increased in importance till the frontier occupa-
tion of the questionable territory by the two rival nations
brought their interests in collision Avith each other.
This rivalry took place on the headwaters of the Qhio river,
the iirst exciting cause of which was the formation uf the
Ohio Company, under a grant from the English crown. This
grant was obtained by ]\Ir. Ilanbuiy, of London, for a tract of
country within the present limits of the State of Ohio. The
conqjany was composed of eight associates, of whom Law-
rence, Augustine and George "Washington were three. Meas-
ures were taken by the Ohio Conqiany to occupy these lands
by commencing to build a fort where Fittsburg now stands,
but the men thus employed wei*e driven away by a large force
of French and Indians, and this was the beginning of the
French and Indian war.
80 KKKNCU AND INPIAN WAK.
The contest lasted tVoiii I7n4 to 1751». It involved nearly
the whole of Europe in its stru<j^<i^le, tor its issue was entangled
with the old (jucstion as t<» the halance of ])ower on the conti-
nent. The Indian trihes of (!an:ida, and those alon<^ the lakes
and the Oliio river, as well as the Irocjuois of the New York
colony and the Delawares of the Susquehanna, were all on the
war-path to help settle this question, which was the most mo-
mentous one the world had yet seen, as the result has shown.
AVolfe's victory on the lieicrhts t)f Abraham, Sept. 13th,
17.")9, was the last and the decisixe battle which settled it.
By the liat of war the boundary line between the PVench
and Eno^lish possessions in America was established on the
!Mississi]>pi instead of the Ohio river, and all the territory
east of this boundary, as far south as the Sj)anish possessions
of Florida, and the French settlements on the east bank of the
Mississip})i south of the thirty-first parallel, fell into English
liands, according to the definitive treaty of peace which ter-
minated the war. The preliminary treaty, of which the de-
finitive one was the substance, was executed between General
Amherst, commander of the English forces, and ]M. de Van-
dreuil, French Cxovernor of Canada, bearing date at Montreal,
Sej)tember Sth, lliiO. As soon as it was signed the English
proceeded to take possession of the immense country ac-
(juired by it as fast as it could be done. To do this was a
work t)f no small magnitude, as the sequel proved.
The entire native ])(»pulation of the country had learned to
love the French during generations of harmonious relations
with them, and they had fought on their side during the late
war. Not an Englishman had then settled northwest of the
Ohio river; the Indians held the whole countrv with a tena-
cions grip, and had no, even distant fear, that the English would
ever be able to dispossess them of it. They were willing to
harbor them as traders, but that was all.
On the 29th of November, 1700, Detroit was taKen posses-
sion of by the English under Major Robert Rogers. The next
Vii.NTIAC. 'M
•summer Michilimiiciiiac, Ste. Mai'i:i, at the oiitU't of Lake Su-
perior, (rreen Bay, St. Josej)]! and Samlusky, were also taken
|>(»:<sessiou uf l)y tlu' Engli>]i. Tliese M-ere all the places where
the French held posts in the conquered country which had not
fallen into the liands of the English durinj^ the war, I'xcept
A'inceunes and Fort Ouatanon, on the Wahash. and the clus-
ter of French towns in Southern Illinois. Neither of these
two latter places, in their distant remoteness from the scenes
of the late war, had heen even threatened with invasion, lint
hefore any steps ha<l been taken to estahlish Enjj^li.-h rnlf over
them, the Avestern tribes, under Pontiac, determineii to drive
the English from the new jiosts they had already occupii'il.
With this end in view a secret conspiracy was planned by
Pontiac, and a simultaneous attack nuide u])on each, resulting
in the capture i>f all of them except Detroit and Fort Pitt
(Pittsburg). The Indians now reigaed triumphant through-
out the entire northwest, and kept up the siege of Detroit
under Pontiac, their great leader, till August 20th, 17»»o,
when the arrival (»f (reneral Ih-adsti'eet witli a large force re-
lieved the place and dispersed the red assailants who had
closely pressed the garrison for t)ver a vea ■■. and reduced them
to the verge of starvation.
Fort Pitt was also besieged, but not so closely, till (General
r)ou(piet relieved the place during the same month It now
only remained to take possession of the French settlements of
the Illinois country, and Vincennes on the "Wabash, to fulfill
the provisicjns of the treaty at the termination of the French
and Indian war.
Four years had elapsed since the date of this preliminary
treatv, and the time seemed as distant as ever when the Enir-
lish could venture into the country with safety, especially as
an immense domain of forest intervened between it and their
isettlements along the Atlantic coast. The first attempt to do
this was to send a force up the Mississippi river, for the les-
son taught by the bloody experience of the late war with Pon-
32 ST. ANOK.
tiac hiul tauijlit (reiu'ral (ratrt', tin' Iiritisli officer iiuw in com-
ni!iii<l ot' Aiiu'rica, a diu' dcijrcc of caution, and lie did not
deem it practicable t(» send a force .so far into wilds filled witli
Indians of still doubtful frieiulshij). Accordingly a force of
3('(» men under Major J.oftus was dis})atclied from liayou
Maiicliae, an En<j^lisli post on the Gulf of j\Iexico, to ascend
the Mississippi in barges to the French settlements in the Illi-
nois country. While laboring against tlie current on his way.
lie was suddenly attacked by the Tonica Indians, who ]>oured
a volley of shot among his men first from one sideof tlie river
and tlien from the other, and he beat a retreat down stream,
abandoning farther attemjits to reach the })lace in question.
The situation was now com]>licated "n tlie extreme. Pon-
tiac. tliough driven from the field, was still a ])ower among tlie
Indian tribes of the interior, with whom the French of South-
ern Illinois were on the best of terms, through motives of both
j)olicy and friendship.
After being driven from Detroit, Pontiac had taken refuge
at the French villages of the Illinois, over whom the discreet
and l)enevolent St. Ange still exercised an authority both of-
ficial and paternal. To him Pontiac applied far succor to pro-
long the fight. It would not do to offend the fallen chieftain,
nor would it do to grant his request, and the governor was at
liis wit's end for a ruse to g( out of the dilemma ; still he
managed, by dint of much circumspection, to preserve the
friendship of the importunate representative of Indian inter-
ests without allying tlie French to his hopeless cause.
Pending these years of suspense French traders were driv-
ing a profitable business in buffalo hides and peltries, for
which merchandise they found a ready market at St. Louis
and New Orleans. This increased the difticulties of carrvinsr
out the provisions of the treaty, for when the English flag
should float over the ramparts of Fort Chartres, English mer-
chants would succeed French, and trade would seek an outlet
by the way of the lakes instead of down the river. Of so
OEOKOE CKOOAN. 33
tiiucli importance was t)ie question of conunerejal rivalry be-
twt'eii the French ot" New Orleans an<l tin; En<,'llsli of J)etroit,
that Sir William Johnsoji, Superintendent of Intlian Atl'airs,
was instructed hy tlie London P>oard of Trade to take early
and effectual measures to secure the trade of the Illinois.* He
had in Ids employ at this time an able officer named George
Crogan, whose mission had been to act as his deputy at distant
points in the wilderness, and to him Sir William assigned the
task of going to the place in question to reconcile the iidial)-
itants, both Indian and French, to the English, as a prepara-
tory step towards otHcial occupation. Fort Pitt was the place
from which he was to embark on tlie important but dangerous
mission Here he was detained a month to receive the last
installment of captives from the Shawanese, which they had
the year before stipulated by treaty to give up, and under an
impression that no time should be lost in sending an Fnglish
de])uty to the Illinois, he dispatched an intrepid scout named
Frazier, M'ith a feM' attendants, down the Ohio river, with
instructions to jiroceed immediately tt> Kaskaskia and inform
the authorities there that the acjeiiu of Sir AVilliani dohnson
would soon follow, with power to act for him. Frazier
reached the place in due season, and was well received by the
iidiabitants, but the traders soon got u}) a conspiracy to kill
him, for they well knew that his mission was unfavorable to
their interests. To save himse'f from their murderous hands
he sought the protection of Pinitiac, and although this chief
hated the English v ith double intensity, nevertheless he was
a tenacious stickler for conventional formalities, and wf)uld
allow no violence done to the Englishman, whom he regarded
in the light of an ambassador.
It was early in May, 1765. that (Vogan started down the
Ohio river from Fort Pitt. At various places on the way he
was detained to execute official business with Indian tribes,
and it was the 6th of June when he arrived at the mouth of
*See Johnson Papers in Doc. Hist, of New York.
8
34 1*0NTIA(; MKKTS CKiHiAN.
the Wabash. No English delt'gatiun liad ever before })eue-
tnited 80 I'sir into the wilds except Fnizier's party, and here he
encamped to take time to consider the situation. On the 8th
lie was attacked hy 80 l\icka]tov) warriors; five of his men
were killed and he himself slightly wounded, when he gave up
liis comnnind as prisoners. Tliis skirmish took place on tiie
soil(»f Illinois, just below the nioulh (if the Wabasli. Crogan
and liis band were taken up the Wabash to Vincennes, which
was then a French village of eighty houses, near whicli was a
large Piankesha village.* By this time the Kickapoos had
discovered that their captive was a man not to be trifled with,
and they regarded him more in the light of a superior than a
prisoner.
Having been unable to reach his destination, he wished to
send a letter to St. Ange, the lawgiver and priest of the Illi-
nois country, and a messenger was promptly at his biilding to
carry it. The French furnished him the j)a^)er on which to
write it, but not till the Indians had given their consent. This
done, he was conducted up the river to Ouatanon, at which
place he arrived the 23d. Here he was set at liberty, and
after holding councils with various tribes of the country, he
started on the 18th of Julv for the Illinois villaijes. On the
way he met Pontiac at the head of a delegation of Indians.
Hitherto this unrelenting warrior had refused all conciliatory
meetings with the English, but iu>w for the first time his stub-
born resolution gave way, and he consented to confer with
Crogan as to jieaceful relations, and the wluile party returned
to Ouatanon for that ])urpose. After their arrival at the
place Pontiac renounced his hostile policy, and promised to use
his influence in favor of peace. This, together with the general
acquiesence in the English occupation of the country already
obtained, was all Crogan could ask, and made it unnecessary
for him to visit the Illinois country according to his first in-
tention.
*Crogan's Journal.
ENfrl.ISH INtS^KSSION OK ILLINOIS. 86
He now started tor Detroit, wliert' lie iigaiii (•(ninseled with
the Tmliiuis, and from thence .starti-d tor the heaihjuarterrt of
Sir William Johnson on the Mohawk river, to whom he made
his report.
In accordance with the original jdaii. the military commis-
sion which was to follow ("rogan emharkcd from Tort, Pitt in
the autumn of the same year — 1705. It consisted of about
120 men from the 4'2d regiment of llighhuulers, under Cap-
tain iSterling. They arrived at Fort Chartres hy way of the
Oliio and Mississipjii rivers on the lOth of October, and for
tlie first time within the limits t»f the j)resent State of Illinois
the Lilies of T' ranee fell from tlie flagstaff', and the Cross of
St. George rose in its place.
This was the last ofticial act that had despoiled France of
her transcendent possessions on the American continent, for
already she had, in 1702, ceded New Orleans and lier territory
west of the Mississippi to Spain.
The French population of the Illinois villages at this time,
together witli St. Louis, was about 2,000, added to whom were
about 500 slaves.
Tlie first thing to be done after possession liad been taken
was to issue the proclamation which General Gage had pre-
pared for tlie occasion. It guaranteed freedom to the inhab-
itants in religious matters as well as in their civil rights. But
the former was all the Frenchman of that day cared for. He
had no ambition to take a hand in the mysteries of govern-
ment or to make any nice distinction as to any other rights
except the right to obey his priest and his magistrate. Such
was the early Frenchman of Illinois— -law-abiding, simjtleand
happy.
Three months after his arrival Captain Sterling died, and
!Major Frazier succeeded him as governor. Early in the spring
the English troops left the country by the way of the Missis-
sippi river for Pensacola, from whence they sailed for Phila-
delphia, arriving there the 15th of June.
'.Wt Till-: QiKHKC! HI 1,1,.
(!o|oiH'l llcetl Hiic'cetMled l'"mzi»'r H6 jrovt'rnor, hut iiiiulL- him-
self (Mlitius to the iiihiil)itiints hy ati oppresniv*' .system ot" mili-
tary rulin*^ ill suit*'. I ti> tlif tHrmcr sulijeets «>i tin- lienevoleiit
St. Ani,'«'.
Thf iit'xt, ill conmiuiHl \va> (Viloiu'l \Viil<ins, who arrivcnl in
Ka.-kaskiii Sr'jtt. ')th, J7*»S. On the "ilstut" S»'j)tt'iiiltLT follow-
ing^ lie roceivcd onirrs from (Teiieml (TUi^*' to rstahlish ii court
of justice. Sevfii ju<l<;es were appointed, imd the first
En^Iisli court ever toiiveiie<l in llliiioi.- held its sessions at
Fort Chartrt's I)ee. !>th, 17r)S. h is not known how long
(jolonel Wiikins remained in other, or what Eni(lish governor
8ueeeede<l him, l>ut it is known that ISt. An;;e again returned
to his loving charge, after having been ruler over St. Louis,
whieli had become a Spanisli town in 1762, as already stated.
The groundwork of the Knglish policy on taking possession
of the country was foreshadowed l)y ii jtroclamation issui'd by
(reorire III., Oct. "J4th, 17«'.r>, and aijain bv a proclamation in
177-.* Tht'.-e jirochunations forbade private ownership to the
soil, and the inference is plain that he intended to divide the
whole country uj* into baronial estates. Had it been settled
l»y ('anadian Frenchmen, such an attempt might have been
successful, ]>ut the y-rowth of the countrv stimidated the am-
Itition of its inhabitants into higher and l)roader channels, and
a more general dispensation of natin'e's gifts in this wealth-
producing country than a baronial policy would admit of.
On the 2d of .lune, 177-1, the British Parliament ptissed an
act entitled '"The Quebec Bill."" This act extended the limits
of (./anada so as to include all the territory north of the Ohio
river. This was the first official act of Parliament that gave
offense to tlu; colonists. It abridged the limits of the Virginia
colony, which claimed the territory across the Ohio by virtue
of her original charter, and besides this, it disap])ointed the
ambitions of j)rivate companies who were at that time contem-
l)lating emigration to the valley of the Ohio. Certain acts of
♦Colonial Roconls of Pi nn.
R(MIIKB1.AVK. 87
T/)nl r>utiTnorp. tli»' last colonial ijoveniftr ot Vir;;iiiiu. i^avc
otltiisc t<t the hordrr iiien, who in tiini avowed thrir iirincipU-s
and piirposi's in oniition's lanj;uairi',* which (dearly foretold the
Revolution, even Itet'ore any action had heen taki'ii at I'oston
or I'hilach'iphia. As hetore stated, the Ih'itisli soldiers were
withdrawn tro!n the Illinois country hnt few months after their
arrival there, and there are no records that any more English
soldiers were ever sent to tiie place, or that any Kn^dish <,'ov-
ernor was ever sent to the couniry after Wilkins' term, and
the conclnsion seems final that the peo])le here were left to
execute their own laws, first under St. An^e, as already told,
and next under Rochehlave, who was a Frenchman, though
loval to British interests, as he should he, the ountrv havinjr
passed into British hands. The latter — Rochei»lave- was
in command of the Illinois country just previous t(» its con-
quest by Clark, tne history of which will he told in the next
chapter.
*S( <• Dillon s Indiana, BlancJianl's >iorthW(st, undur lu-mi of " Dunmore's
War."
38 THK AMEKIOAN UOVKKNMENT OKUAMZKI).
CHAPTER IV
ILLINOIS UNDER AMEKKAN RULE.
The Continental Oonjrress of thirteen En<^lish colonies
assembled at Philadelphia September 5th, 1774. It was rep-
resented by each colony, and soon afterwards took upon itself
the functions of a government of its own creation as a substi-
tute for English authority.
On the 13th of July, 1775. three Indian departments were
instituted — a southern, nortliern and middle. To the latter
the Illinois country was assigned. Benjamin Franklin and
James Wilson, of Pennsylvania, and Patrick Henry, of Vir-
ginia, were appointed commissioners for the middle depart-
ment. Its remoteness prevented any practical results from
growing out of this organization. Nevertheless it is worthy
of record as being the first official action taken by the new
government to extend its authority over this distant settlement.
The next year, 1776, on the 10th of April, Colonel George
Morgan, who had been a trader at Kaskaskia, was appointed
agent to succeed the former ones of this department. His
residence was at Fort Pitt, from whence he was required to
visit the western tribes for the purpose of cultivating their
friendship. But the English agents liad already been among
them, and not mucli was accomulished by the Americans
through Indian alliances.
Meantime the American Revolution was soon in full tide
of progress, and none took more interest in it than the fron-
tier men of Virginia, and none were more willing to make
*St'(' Journal of Continental Congress.
OLAKK's C0N<4LKST of ILLINOIS. 39
sacritices to brinii^ it to a successful termination. Prominent
among tliese men was Colonel (ieorge Rogers Clark, a native
of" Albemarle Co., Va. The settlements of Kentucky were
then begun, and Clark was among the settlers, but left for Vir-
ginia on the 1st of October, 177T, for the purpose of laying a
plan before Patrick Henry, the governor, for the conquest of the
Illinois country. After several interviews. Governor Henry
gave his consent to his plans, and he immediately set about
the execution of them.
The utmost secrecy was necessary, for had it been known in
advance the English could have sent a force from Detroit to
waylay him on his march to the place, and also to garrison
Fort Gage at Kaskaskia with a strong force. As a blind
to the real destination of the expedition. Governor Henry first
gave Clark instructions to proceed to the Kentucky settlements
for the purpose of defending them against Indian attack. These
were published, and gave rise to murmurs among the revolu-
tionary spirits of the border that soldiers should be sent on
such an errand, when they were needed in front to fight the
British.
The expedition embarked from Pittsburg, and, as Clark ex-
pressed it, ''shot the falls" at Louisville on the 24th of June,
kept on down the river to '- a little above Fort Massac,'' and
from thence marched across the country to Kaskaskia. The
place contained about 1,000 inhabitants, and was defended by
a fort named Fort Gage, in honor of the British General Gage.
'Twas on the evening of the ith of July that Clark arrived
at the place. There were no British soldiers there, but a small
company of French did garrison at the fort. These, as well
as the private citizens, were completely taken by surprise. The
presence of Americans in the streets of Kaskaskia, and even
in the fort, was the first signal of invasion, and victory was
won before resistance was thought of. The governor and a
liew leading citizens were seized and put in irons, and every
inhabitant was ordered to remain in his house on pain of being
40 CLARK'S CONQUEST OF ILLINOIS.
shot if found in the street. Meanwhile the conquerors made
night hideous by their tumult and outcries as they patrolled
the streets to prevent the escape of the terrified citizens.
The Americans had been represented to them as monsters
of cruelty, and their demeanor thus far seemed to verify the
truth of such an assertion. Clark had already been informed
of these slanders against him and his men, and, with a deep
and far-seeing mental analysis of the harmless villagers who
now lay prostrate at his feet, determined to turn the unjust
falsehoods to his own advantage. His plan was first to bring
them to the verge of despair, and then, by a sudden transition
of clemency, overwhelm them with transports of joy.
Pending the painful suspense, M. Gibault, the priest, with
a few of the aged citizens, came to the quarters of General
Clark and begged that the inhabitants might be permitted to
assemble in their church to take their last leave of each
other before being separated. Their request was granted them
on the ground that the Americans left every man free to settle
his religious matters with his God ; but no one must leave
the town. The injunction was obeyed, and after their meeting
was over Gibault and a few others again visited Clark, and,
under the expectation that they were all to be driven from
their homes, requested that they might be allowed to take a
small amount of provisions with them, and a few articles of
immediate necessity, and above all, that mothers and children
should not be separated. Clark listened to these humble pe-
titions with apparent astonishment, and in reply said, -' Do
you take us for savages?"
Hitherto with impenetrable immobility he had presented a
harsh exterior towards them, but now the picture was changed,
and never did the bright side of human nature through a
rough exterior sho-w to better advantage.
They were not to be driven from their homes or plundered
of their property, nor were they to be denied the rites of
their religion. He liad come among them for a far diflferent
OLAKK's CONt^UEST O!' ILLINOIS. 41
])urpose. Uis mission was to introduce the new government
in tlieir midst and oifer to take them under its protection — a
government that France had just allied itself to, which was
news to them — it liavini; been sent to Chirk after he left Fort
Pitt.
The effect of this unexpected magnanimity was like a sud-
den recoil from despair to the full fruition of the heart's desire,
and the volatile Frencli gave vent to their feelings in trans-
ports of joy. The stock ot the new government rose above
jiar. Cahokia and all the other adjacent towns prom])tly
yielded to Clark's authority, and young America hecame firmly
planted on the soil of Illinois.
This was hut the initiatory step in the wo>i"k before the hold
adventurer. P^'ive huinlred miles of wilderness intervened
between him and Fort Pitt, the nearest post from wliicli
succor could be obtained in case of a reverse. The English
were in force at Detroit, and could easilv send a jiarrison
to Yinceiines, on the AYabash, a ])oint intervening between
him and the frontier from whence he had marched. That
ultimate failure in his plans could only l)e :!verted by tlie
most heroic policy, coupled with extraordinary activity, was
evident to the mind of Clark, and he set himself about the
execution of the yet unfinished work before him without loss
of time.
His masterly efibrts to win the good will of the French had
been successful, and the next work to be done was to win the
favor of the Indians, whose power was then transcendent
throughout the whole interior.
Pending his efforts in this direction Gibault, the ])riest,
volunteered to go to Vincennes with others, among whom was
Captain Helm, to advocate the American cause at tliat post.
In this he was successful. Tliose who represented the British
interest there gave way to the all-prevailing sentiment in favor
of the Americans, and Captain Helm became commandant of
the place.
4"i CI.AKK's CONliUEST OF ILLINOIS.
Sucli Wiis the state of uffiiirs in the Jiutuiiin ot" 177S, hut
on the 15th of December Henry Ilaniiltoii, the Briti.sli gov-
ernor of Detroit, suddenly ajjpeared l)efore Vinceniie.s with
a force of 30 British reguhirs, 50 French volunteers from
among tlie citizens of Detroit, and 400 Indians. Helm had
no force in commantl to oppose them, and on came the
invaders, with Colonel Hamilton at their head, and at his
post stood Captain Helm, match in hand, ready to lire a loaded
cannon at them. When thev had arrived within hailiiiij (lis-
tance. the tenacious defender of the fort slumted '• H;dt!"
This brought a reply from Hamilton demanding a surrender.
Helm in turn demanded the honors of war, which terms
were granted, and Hamilton took possession of the place,
its garrison consisting of Captain Helm and one soldier,
named Henry.*
The situation of Clark was now perilous in the extreme, l)ut
he took prompt measures to meet the emergency. On the
2'i»th of January succeeding, which was in 1779, there arrived
at his (piarters from Vincennes Francis Vigo, a Spanisli mer-
chant. He had important news for General Clark — Hamilton
had weakened his force by sending his Indians to blockade the
Ohio river, in order to cut off the retreat of the Americans.
" H" T don't take Hamilton, Hamilton will take me," ex-
claimed Clark. His i-esolntion was immediately made, and he
determined to march against Vincennes. A company of
French volunteers was raised, which, added to a company of
his own, constituted a force of 170 men. These were to
march overland t(j the ])lace, while a vessel commanded by
John Rogers, witli 4<) men, was sent down tiie Mississippi and
up the Ohio and Wabasli, to transport the necessary stores and
cooperate with the land lorces. The vessel started on the lOth
of February, and the land forces the next day, 2 10 men all
told, to wrest from the British empire a country large enough
for a kingdom.
*Butler's Kcntuckv.
Clark's conquest of Illinois. 43
Whei! General Clark arrived at the Wabash, its waters were
so swollen hy late rains that the country tor many miles
urouiid was inundated, and after crossing the turbulent river
tlu- invaders had to wade in water up to their arm-pits, in
places, before camping ground could be reached. This they
(lid under the inspiration of a war song, in which the ^"hole
line joined, as they struggled through the flooded valleys like
amphibious beings. Having passed these watery wastes, the
men encamped for the night on a rise of ground, half famished
with hunger and chilled to their vitals with their cold water
wadings. Fortunately a small supply of food was soon ob-
tained from some Indian hunters, and the next day the whole
force marched against Fort Sackville, which defended the town.
The attack was made, and twenty-four hours' firing resulted in
wounding many of Hamilton's soldiers, and he surrendered at
discretion on the 24th of February.
In vain may the records of warfare be searched to find so
important a conquest achieved by so small a force. The whole
plan from the first looked like a desperate one, and had Ham-
ilton not felt an assurance that he could circumvent it, he
would not have weakened his own force by sending a detach-
ment to the Ohio to cut olf Clark on a retreat that he (Ham-
ilton) felt certain would be attempted by the "rash adven-
turer," as he regarded him.
Clark's success was the result of an accumulation of circum-
stances, some of which fortuitously grew out of its apparent
impossibility in the estimation of his antagonist, as well as out
of the hardihood of his men, but, more than either of these,
out of his own versatility of talent to turn even obstacles in
his patli to ultimate advantage. But this conquest, marvelous
as it appeared, was only one step towards the final destiny of
Illinois, as well as the whole territory north of the Ohio river.
At the negotiations in Paris in 1783, which arranged the
terms of peace after the American Revolution, the most im-
portant point to agree on was to establish a western boundary
44 UIPLOMAC'V AT PARIS.
for the new iiutioii. The provisions of tlu' Quebec hill of
1774 had made the Ohio river tlie southern line ut" (/Mnjuhi,
and the British tenaciously held to this claim. Meantime the
Count de Araiuhi, the Spanish Commissioner, claimed all the
territory west of the Alleghany mountains. At this iuncture
the American Ministers, Jay, Adams, Franklin and Laurens
discovered that the French Commissioner, Count A'^ergennes,
was secretly using his influence in favor ot" the Spanish chiim.
This served to complicate the issue still more, and helped to
weaken the resolution of the British Commissioner to insist
on the rights of Kuij^land in an issue which might prolong a
controversy with her Eur<jpean rivals; for had the signing of
the treaty hung on the pleasure of Spain till lier consent was
obtained to making the Mississippi the western Itoundary of
the I'nited States, it would never have been signed, and it is
highly probable that England would not have conceded this
point if the Spanish claim liad not presented obstacles in the
way of her retaining the territory in dispute, even if the
Americans should relinquish it. This consideration, in ad-
dition to the American rights by virtue of Clark's conquest,
settled the destiny of Illinois ]»y placing her under the flag
of the United States at the treaty of Paris, signed September
3d, 1783, and ratified by Congress at Philadelphia. January
1-ith, 1784.
From the first the Americans had shown a firm purpose to
retain the Illinois country, :ind, in accordance with this reso-
lution, the General Assembly of Virginia, in October, 1778,
made provision for the forms of a temporary govern-
ment there, and the following year, on the loth of June,
John Todd, a Coh)nel under Clark, by authority of these pro-
visions, issued a proclanuitioii at Kaskaskia, organizing the
coxintrv into a countv of Virginia, to be called Illinois Countv,
and a fort was built the same year on the east bank of the
Mississippi river, just below the mouth of the Ohio, to defend
the country from the Spaniards. At that time Spain owned
SPAMlSll KIVALIJV. 45
lialf <'f" South America, Centnil America, Mexico, tiie Wt-st
Indies, Florida, and all the territory west of the Mississippi
river to the Pacilic ocean. She was the Euro])eaii ])ower
ahove all others that represented the inteiisitied tbrnis o!"
feudalism and tyranny, bold, defiant and aifi^ressive in her
state councils, and intolerant in civil and reli<;i()us rijj^iits. The
fires of despotism M-ere consumin<j^ her vitals, and soiui hurnt
out the materials wherewith to sustain her do^god -md un-
comj)romising determination to crush the numhood out of her
colonial subjects. The consequence was that her power went
rapidly into decline when the portions of America over which
her laws extended were brought into proximity and rivalry
with the progressive spirit of young America, as the sequel
proved. To record the history of her attempts to extend her
dominion over the Mississip})i valley would iill a volume. All
of them were abortive, for the reason tliat her government was
behind the age of the progressive civilization that had been
ii'rowiui; into maturity under liberal Euijlish law in America.
This law, when extended over the French settlements, was
hailed with welcome, for the re;ison that it deprived them of
no natural right, and most of the iiduibitants took the oath of
allegiance to the State of Virginia under Todd's administra-
tion. He was killed at the battle of Jilue Licks, in Kentucky,
August isth. iTSi!, and was succeeded by Timothy Montbrun,
a Frenchnum.
From this period till tlie occupation of the country by St.
Clair, no official records are extant of its government, and the
inference is that during this hiatus no difficulties arose that
could not be settled by the priest. Tt was during this interim
that the lirst American settlement in Illinois was made. It
was located in tl.'e present county of Monroe, and signifi-
cantly named *' Is ew Design.' The names of these settlers
were James Moore, Shadrack Bond, James Garrison, Robert
Kidd. and Larken Kutherford. The two latter were soMiers
in Geiieral Clark's army. In the summer of 1781 all these,
46 FIKsr AMKUICAN SKTTLEMKNT.
with tlieir families, liad crossed the Alle<;haiiy mountains and
embarked from PittR])uri,' on board of what was then caUed an
ark. When the mouth of the(Jlii<) was reached, with many a
heavy strain, they urged their ark up the current of the J\[is-
sissippi to the shore (»})posite tliis settlement, (h'barked, and set
the first permanent Anglo-American stakes into the soil of
Illinois.
These men were composed o\' a inore inflexible material
than the French. There was no sympathy between them and
the Indians, and the consequence was tliat a hostile feeling
ultimately grew up between each which in time made it neces-
sary to build a Mock-house as a refuge in the event of an out-
break.
By virtue of her royal charter, as already stated, the claim
of Virginia to all the lauds north of the Ohio river was ac-
knowledged by common consent, and was valid, perhaps in
default of its never having been disputed by ;i high legal
court. But the magnanimity of this venerable old State made
any such action uiniecessary by ceding the territory in (ques-
tion to the United States, the deed of cession bearing date
March 1st, 1784.
This broad creation of prairie and forest, seamed by a
thousand rivers and enriched by countless autumnal leaf-falls
and prairie growths, was then, comparatively speaking, an im-
nnvculate tablet, iinscarred by the plow, and steps were ])romptly
taken by Congress to facilitate its settlement and guarantee to
each settler such lands as he selected and ])aid for. Accord-
ingly on the 20th of May. 1 785. an act was passed for the
survey of such lands as had been pMirchased from the Indians.
And now beijan that svsteni of public surveys which may
justly be called the best in the world It was begun under
charge of Thomas Iluchins, the same who ma])ped out the
Ohio country bv observation durin^ a tour through it soon
after Bouquet's expediiion to the Muskingum. These surveys
TKkHITOIilAI, (iOVKUNMKNT < >K(rANIZKI>. 4c7
now fonii the basis tor a description of «-verv Wmn. ami even
cverv viilii«re lot. in the entire iioi-tliwest.
On rlie 5tli of Octohtr. ITsT, Artliui- St. Clair, a venerable
Kevolntionarv ofHeer, ua> a]ij)ointe(l "governor of the entire
ettuntry north of the ()liio river, which was desi<''Mate(l as the
Northwest Territorv. On the !»th of .inly the next year he
arrived at Marietta, a settlement recently made at the mouth
of the ^luskinguni river, and set the new machinery of gov-
ernment in motion. The fir>t comity was lai<l out with
dimensions large enough to include all the settlements on the
river, and named Washington county. About the first of
June, 17'.*0, the governor, with the judges t>f the ftU])erior
court, descended the Ohio river to Cincinnati, and laid out
Hamilton county. A few weeks later lie, with Winthrop
Sargeant. secretary of the territory', proceeded to Kaskaskia
and organized the settled portions of the Illinois country into
one county, which, in honor of the governor, was named St.
Clair county. All former official organizations here had been
by authority of the State of Virginia, and had been transient
in their character, but now the })ernianency of national author-
ity had stamped its seal on Illinois soil. A court was estab-
lished at Cahokia, and justices of the peace appointed for
each of the adjacent villages.
Ill 17!)5 settlements liad increased so as te make the organi-
zation of another county necessary, and Itaiidoli»h county was
laid out, occupying all the territory south of an east and west
line drawn through the Xew Design settlement from the Mis-
sissippi to the Wabash river, St. Clair county occupying the
territory north of this line, and Iiandol]»h that south of it.
By an act of Congress May 7th, ISOO, the Northwest Ter-
ritory was divided, the present limits of the State of Indiana,
together with those of Michigan, Wisconsin and Illinois being
set off and named Indiana Territory. On the 13th of the
same month William Henry Harrison was appointed governor,
and John Gibson, the same to whotn Logan made his cele-
48 ILLINOIS A I'AKT <»K INDIANA TKKKITDRV.
hnited speech, was jippoiiited secretary. The seat of govern -
iiu'iit was fixed at Vinceniies, at which phice Harrison arrived
Jaiiuarv 10th, lS(>l,:ind iiiiiued lately organized the new ^ov-
eriiinciit.
On the ;5d nt' .lanuarv, hSU;"), an election was iield \>y order
of Governor Harrison, to elect representatives for the assem-
bly at Yincennes. The legislature met July 20th, 1805.
Shadrack liond and William Ri^gs- were cliosen to represent
St. Chor county, and George Fisher, Randolph county.
By an act of Congress approved January 11th, 1805, Indi-
ana Territory was divided; all that portion of it lying north of
a line due east from the southern extremitv of Lake Michiiran
heing set off and named Michigan Territory. This only took
from Tlie Indiana Territory the portion of Michigan ])etween
Lakes Huron and ^lichigan, that portion of tlie present State
of Michigan bordering on Lake Su))erior having been annexed
to the state since that period, to oftset for the loss of territory
claimed by Ohio on her southern honler. On February 3d,
1809, Indiana Territory was again divided hy setting oft' the
territory- of Illinois, embracing its present limits, together
with the present limits of "Wisconsin and the peninsular por-
tion of jMichigan. Ninian Edwards was ap])ointed governor,
liis commission bearing date April Sith, 1800. Nathaniel
Popo was ap])r)inted secretary. The seat (jf government was
fixed at Kaskaskia, at which place Governor Edwards assumed
his official duties on the 11th of the following June.
The nuichinery of the first grade of government was now
piit in practice. By it the govrnor and judges constituted the
legislature.
By an act of Congress May 21st, 1812, the territor}' of
Illinois was promoted to the second grade of government. Up
to this time every county and town officer had been appointed
by the governor; now they were to l)e elected by the people,
l)ut the right of suffrage was extended to those only who had
paid a territoi'ial tax.
KAUTIlgUAKE uK 1811. 49
Three new counties. Madison, Gallatin and Johnson, were
oi'^anized, inuking five in all, and an election was (trdered in
each to elect five meinlHirs of tlie le«ijislative council, sev^'ii
representatives, an»l one dele^^ate to Congress. Shadraek
Bond was elected totlm latter (ttiice, being the first one elected
by tiie j)eoj)le tor that [losition.
The great earth(piake ot'18ll,t]ie centre ot' which was at
New Madrid, on the Mississippi l)elow the mouth ot" the Ohio
river, was severely felt in Soutlieni Illinois. It began on the
niijht of the loth of December, and a succession of shocks
were felt for several days succeeding. The ground opened at
many places in the vicinity of New Madrid and emitted
sul{)hurous steam, closing again with a loud noise, and tlirow-
iiig jets of mud and water high into the air. Near this place
much ground was sunk, and became j)ermanently covi-red with
water. The shocks were felt along the entire valley of the
Oliiu river, and up the Mississippi river they were reported at
iSt. Louis, which was as far as settlements then extended.
50 UAITLE uK TIITECAMUK.
CHAPTER V.
ILLINOIS IN THK \VAl{ OF 1812.
To write the history ot all the scenes of violence tlitit
inarked tlie contest between the Indians and the frontiersmen
<luring the pioneer age of the nortliwest would fill many vol-
umes, but, happily tor Illinois, she has been com])ar!itively
exempt from In<lian wars as tliey have raged in Ohio and In-
diana, no great Indian battle liaving ever been fought within her
limits, for the reason that the force and power of the Indians
was greatly weakened before settlements had jtrogressed to any
great extent in this territory.
The battle of Tij)j)eeanoe. fought ])etween the Shawanese
and otlier tribes against tlie forces of General Harrison, No-
vember 7th, 1811, resulted disastrously to the Indians, and
doubtless prevented a confederation of the tribes of Illinois
fr(»m coml)ining against the settlers of this state l)y any con-
certed movement. Owing to this cause Indian hostilities here
were confined to small skirmishes, personal encounters, or to
Indian scouts on pilfering expeditions. In almost all thcsr
tlie Indians got the worst of it. as the ex])loits of Illinois
pioneers have abundantly shown.
Another reason why the Indians here were less powerful for
mischief and less aggressive than those farther east was owing
to their greater distance from Canada, at whicli place their
" British P'athers," as they called them, had subsidized all the
tribes north oi' the Ohio into their friendship by an annual
distribution of presents at Maiden.
WAK I>KCLAKRD. 51
The effect nn tlic minds of the Indians of this jirodigal s^en-
erosity was j>rodi<;ious. for thry in their simplicity helieve*!
tliat disinterested l)enev(iltiice wsis the incentive on the part
uf the fivers. In tliis tliey were mistaken, for there was a
policy in it winch in dne tinii' came to the surtiu'e.
Kven after the fires of the Revolntion had died away the
Kiiiflish left tin- legion of the lakes with relnetance, retainin^^
Detroit. Sandnsky and other posts till 1 79*5, contrary to treaty
sti])ulatiojis, givini; as a reason that the posts were held to
secure the collection of private debts dut; from citizens of the
T^niti'd States to British subjects. Meantime the persistence
of the British of Canada to furni.sh the Indians with arms
and to encouraj;e them to resist the Americans gave "^^rea*:,
offense to the latter. This state of things lasted from 1789
to LSI "2. and embittered the minds of the border men against
the liritish to such an extent thai, had their counsels ruled in
the nation, war would liave been declared against England in
J 793, wdien she built a fort at the Maumee rapids, more than
twenty miles inside of the Canada line.
Pending these accumuhiting grievances the French Kevolu-
tion convulsed Euro])e, and out of its dissolution Napoleon
rose into })ower. Between him and England, there was no
peace. As years rolled on the war between France and
England grew into immense proportions, and the latter did not
hesitate to su])])ly her navy with seamen from the decks of
American vessels. This latter insult to the nation, added to
many others that preceded it, was the cause of the declaration
of the war of 1812. It was made the 18th of dune. The
news rang through tlie western forests, carried by iieet-footed
nu'S>engers, and the Indians hovered around the standard of
their -British Father"" in Canada, thinking the time had
come when the Americans should be driven from their soil by
tl'.e aid of English bayonets.
General Hull was promptly sent to Detroit with a force to
garrison tlie place and hold it against the British in Canada.
5"J KOIM' IIKAKJJUUN i:VAi;LATia>.
lie had only been tliere a short time wlieii he found a pow --
I'ul and wide-spread Indian cont'ederacy arrayed against him,
which was the result of" tlie previous years ot" British patron-
a<^e and generosity. Their savage retainers held possession
ot* tlie forest path through wliieh (reueral Hull had marched
to Detroit, and closed the door hehind him. jVEeantime the
British, by means of tlieir fleet on Lake Krie, could concen-
trate tlieir forces upon liim with facility, and he soon found
himself menaced in front by a ])owerful foe, while his rear
bristled with Indian tomahawks and scalping-knives.
Fort Dearborn at Chicago, which had been built in iso;^— J-,
was included in the military district under his charge, and
duriiiiif liis wanin*; fortunes he determined to send a messen>;er
to tiie place to give Captain Ileald, its commander, timely
warning to save the garrison by retrejitiu^ to Fort Wayne if
tlie place could not hold out until relief could come.
General Hull h;id in his camp iit that time a friendly Pot-
towatomie chief, named Winnemac, and to him was the mis-
sion conlided. He was faithful to his trust, and on the I'rh
of August itrrived at P\)rt Dearborn nnd handed his dispatch
to Captain Ileald.
War had been declared by the United States against Eng-
land, Michilimacinac had been taken, and Detroit was hai'd
pressed l)y the British and their red allies. This was the bur-
den of news which the messenger brought to this far-oft" post
in their isolated hermitage. Farther, Captain Ileald was oi--
dered to evacuate Fort Dearborn provided he had not means
to defend it. Under an impression that he had not he ordered
an evacuation, though against the advice of his subordinate
othcers.
The 15th of August was set for the day, and the garrison,
mustering (^6 men, started on their route for Fort Wayne. < )i\
arriving at the locality where Eighteenth street now tern iiuites
at the lake, they were attacked by five times their nund)er of
Pottowatomies. The soldiers in vain charged upon their nu-
MASSACKK AT ClllCACir*. 58
merons foes, with Captain "Wells at their liead. who had arrived
the day before from Fort Wayne to help defend tlieni. Wells
was killed, and with him fell more than half of the heroic
hand of soldiers. The remainder, with Mrs. Helm,* the Kin-
zic family, -f- and some of the wives of the officers, became
prisoners, and were subsecpiently ransomed by Mr. Forsythe,
the Indian agent at Peoria, and others.
This massacre was in the interest of the British in their
contest with the Americans, thou<rh not done under their
orders, l)iit under savage responsibility on British account.
This opening of thv war was all in favor of the British. The
campaign had been short and decisive, but a new one was at
hand, destined to ofi^set fourfold for its disgrace.
On the 24th of Se}>tember General Harrison received a dis-
patch from the president that he had been appointed to the
command of the northwest. The first thing for him to do
was to take effective measures for the protection of the most
remote frontier, after which the British were to be driven from
Detroit.
General Shelby, oi' Kentucky, entered heartily into the
work, and had raised an army fif volunteers and placed them
under command of General Hopkins, who was at Vin-
cennes late in September awaiting orders, and while General
Harrison was ajiproaching Detroit, his forces Avere destined ibr
the Illinois service, to destroy the Kickauoo. villages along the
Illinois river.
On the 11th of October two companies of United States
Rangers, under command of Colonel Bussell, were ordered to
march immediately to Edwardsville, Illinois, where they were
*This noble woman's life was spared by the timely interposition of Black
l*artriclg(.'. After her ransom she wrote a jrraphir account of the battle,
whi( h was published in Wabun, and transferred from thence to various
other histories.
fJohn Kinzie was sent in irons to Maiden, from which place while pris-
oner he beheld the smoke of Perry's victory on the lake and the retreat of
the Little Belt and her capture. Blanchard's Northwest.
5i KXI'KDITION' ACiAlNsT TlIK INDIANS.
tu l)e j)laced uiuler coiumand ol" Governor Edwards to he added
to his forces. Tluis united, llie army was to inarch against
the Indian towns on the Illinois river, in whicli vicinity it was
to form a junction with the army of (ieneral Ilo{)kiiis. The
latter started from Vincennes early in Octoher, crossed the
Wabash at Fort Harrison, and hegan its march into the hroad
prairies of the interior toward the objeetive point. They
were composed mostly of raw recruits who had never seen
service, and the country they had entered seemed strany;e and
bewiklerint^ in its vastnes^. The prairie tires lit up the sky
each night with lurid glares and wrought upon their fears, and
at the end of the fourth day's march the whole army I'cfused
to obey orders. Accordingly Uie next morning the volunteers
turned backwai'd and retraced their steps by the way they had
advanced, des])ite the orders of their General.
While these unsoldier-like men were retreating before they
had come in sight of the enemy. Governor Edwards' army
were advancing according to the original plan, and arriving at
an Indian town on the east bank of Peoria Lake, found it de-
serted exce})t by a single Indian and a squaw. The luckless
brave was shot at the lirst sight of him. and the squaw, after
many shots having been tired at her under the impression that
she was a brave, was taken captive. Slie was not wounded,
but i;ave vent to her feelin<TS in a flood ot' tears, and was soon
set at liberty. The country had never before been penetrated
hy Americans, and the number of Indians it contained W'as
not known. No tidings of General Hopkins were received,
and it was deemed expedient to retreat, lest superior numbers
miorht i)e broui^lit airainst them. The trovernor thei'efore re-
turned to Camp Russell and discharg'."! the volunteers.
Peoria at this time contained a mixed population of French
and Indians, and the former were accused by the Americans of
befriending the Indians and supplying them with ammunition.
Under this ap])rehension a gunboat expedition under Cai)tain
Craig was to act in conjunction with the land forces of Governor
I'KOKIA liUUNKIi. 55
KdwjirdH, and General Hopkins, to supply the two armies
with provisions and the necessary stores lor the canipui<fii.
This tailed to make a connection with the arinv of tlie cfov-
ernor, hut advanced to Peoria, burnt the town, and taking most
of the French inhabitants prisoners, transported then] down the
Illinois river to the banks of the Mississippi, and turned them
loose on its desolate banks without food. After much suffer-
ing the outcasts found their way back to their homes, which,
though laid in ashes, were rebuilt, and Peoria continued to be
a French trading post till American settlers came to the place.
The writer has no data at hand to show the grounds of suspi-
cion of French alliance with the Indians, or the kind of aid
furnished them by which the Americans felt aggrieved, and
by which they justified their attack upon the town and abduc-
tion of its French citizens. Whatever these grounds were, it
is certain that no subsequent attack was made on the place,
by which an inference may be made that the first one was un-
necessary.
The next year, 1813, another expedition was set on foot
from Camp Russell. It crossed the Illinois two miles above its
mouth, thence went to the Mississip])i, and marched up its
east bank to the lower rapids, from whence it went across the
country to the Illinois river, and arriving at Peoria, built a
fort, which, in honor of General George Rogers Clark, was
called Fort Clark. The expedition then advanced up the river
to Gomas village, destroyed it, and returned to Camp Rus-
sell. This closed the campaign of 1813 in Illinois, and it
must be confessed that it was by a very tenacious and far-
fetched resolution to defend the state that the war had been
wa<Ted against the Indians, and especially against the French
of Peoria.
Tlie campaign of 1814 opened with increased activity along
the frontiers of Illinois, for now an actual enemy was at their
gates. Notwithstanding the British had been driven from
Detroit and signally defeated both on sea and land by the
66 I'KAIKIE Dr CHIKN TAKKN.
forces of (reneral Harrison and Commodore Perry, jMicliili-
inaciiiac and Prairie dn C'hien were still in their possession,
and aii^ainst the latter an expedition was jdaTined. It started
from St. Louis ahout the 1st of ^lay in four barges, on Ijoard
of which were 200 men under charge of Governor Clark, of
Missouri. They arrived at the })lace and took ])ossessioii with-
oxit resistance, almost the entire British force, under the
celebrated Colonel Dickson, having left for Canada to recruit
the British army there, who were being hard pressed by the
Americans.
The following July a large force of British and Indians re-
turned and laid siege to the place. It was taken after a stout
resistance, and the garrison were sent to St. Louis as paroled
prisoners.
The following August an expedition was litted out at Ca])e
an Gris, destined for the upper Mississippi, under command of
General Z. Taylor, the same who afterwards became T^resident
of the I^nited States.
It s'li ted on the 24th of August, in armed barges, with
334 men. A little above Rock Island thev were attacked by
a superior force of British and Indians under the command of
the celebrated Black Hawk.* and defeated after a des])erate
baffle.
Tliis terminated the war in Illinois and Wisconsin, as the
negotiations of Ghent soon followed, articles of peace being
signed December 24th, 1814, and the British forces withdrew
from the beautiful lake country to its northern shore, and the
Indians once more settled into peace.
*This must have been soon after Black Hawk's return from the army of
Geinral Proccor. See Black Hawk's narration in Smith's Doc. Hist, of Wis.
ILLINOIS A STATE. 57
CHAPTER VI.
ADMINISTRATIONS OF THE OOVEKNOKS OF ILLINOIS.
In .lanuarv, iJSls. the territoriul lei^islature sent a petition
to Congress tor admission int<j tlie Union as an independent
state. Xathaiuel Pope was then delegate, and tlirongh his
instrumentality the petition was not only granted, l)ut the hill
was so amended as to extend the northern limits ut* the state
from its proposed houndary to latitude 4-:^° 3t»'. Its first
limit was a line drawn due west from the southern extremity
of Lake ^lichigan to the Mississippi river. The amended hill
hecame a law A])ril 1 Sth. hut the act for admission of the
state into the Union was not ]>assed till Deeemher .30th. 1818.*
In July, 1818, a convention Avas called atlvaskaskia to draft
a constituti«^)n, of which Jesse B. Thomas was president and
William C. Greenup secretary. The following are the names
of the counties then in existence, all of which were repre-
sented in the convention : Randolph, Madison. Gallatin, John-
son, Pope, Jackson, Crawford, Bond. Union, Washington and
Franklin.
This constitution was not submitted to a vote of the peoiile
for ratification. By its provisions judges, ])rosecuting attor-
neys, county and circuit judges, recorders and justices of the
peace, were all ap]»ointed hy the governor or legislature, in-
stead of heing elected hy the peo})le. The first election under
it for governor was lield in Septemher, 1818. M'liich resulted
in tlie election of Shadrack BotuI. and Pierre Menard was
"Ford's History of Illinois gives in full tlic reasons for extendiui,' the
northern boundary. ,
58 VAM)ALIA TllK CAIMTAI,.
elected lieuteniuit jroveruor. Tlu'V were iiiauj^urjitrd ( h'to-
luM- r.tli.
In 1820 the seat of goviTiiiueiit was roiiioved to Vjiiidaliu.
Aiuoiiir its earliest labors was the creation of the Illinois state
hank, M'ith a cajiitid <>f lialf a million dollars, hasc'd on the
credit of the state.
Tn Angust, ISiti, Edwanl Coles was elected governor l»_v a
small jilnrality over liis principal opponent, Joseph J^hillips,
there hoing tM-o other candidates in the field. Adolphus F.
Hul)hard was elected lieutenant governor. The inauguration
took place December oth. In this election the final contest
was involved between those who wished to mak(> Illinois a
slave state and those who wished to make it a i'reii state, and
on this issue the people Avere not very une<^ually divided.
Slavery ha<l existed here ever since 1720, at which time
Philip Francis Kenault, as agent for the company of St. Phil-
li])s. introduced it. The company of which he was agent was
an offshoot of that established by the celebrated John Law in
1717. l'>y the distempered imaginations of those interested
in the Law company, the whole country was looked upon as a
mining field for ])recious metals, and to work the mines 500
slaves were purchased in St. Domingo and transporti'd to the
Illinois country. Afrer this theory had beeii dis]>elle(l, a jtart
of them were employed in working the lead mines of ^lissouri
ami Dnbu(pie, while a portion of them were purchased by the
French settlers, and the offspring (jf the latter became the
slave po[>ulation of Illinois down to the time of Governor
Coles' election. By the ordinance of 1787 slaverv had been
])rohil)ited in the entire territory of the northwest, of which
Illinois was a part, and it existed here only by meatis of
various legal subterfuges by which the ])rovisions of the
ordinance had been averted.
Governor Coles was a;: able and uncompromising advocate
of Freedom, and it Avas evident to those rej)resenting the other
side that unless a new constitution which fully recognized
ANTI-SLAVKKV STliUGUhK. .""iH
slavery as llie future jtolicy of the state couUI be obtHinetl. that
this institution uiusl ultiniatelv die out. Aeeordiiii'lv iiieas-
ures were taken hv tlie slavery partv to obtain it. To this end
t. tit-
it was neces.sary by law to get a two-thirds \-ote of the gen-
eral assembly in favor of ealling an election of the ])eo])le to
vote ou the ij^nestiou of changing the constitution. This was
obtained by dint t)f aggressive aiul defiant means best known
to those who have been drilled in a school of partisan politics,
and now tlie slavery j)arty were coulident of success. The
electi(»n was proclaimed, but eigliteen montlis intervened be-
fore it was to be held, and it is ])robable that no state election
was ever held since the United States became a nation in
whicli so much determination of pur])ose was thrown into the
arena. The cause of P'reedom triumphed, 6,040 votes being
polled against a convention to change the constitution against
•i.l»T2 in favor of it.
This was the Waterloo of tlie slavery advocates in Illinois,
and to Governor Coles more than to any other man is due the
credit of the victory.*
In the spi'ing of 1825. by invitation of Governor Coles,
General ]-,a Fayette, who was then in Americti, visited Illinois.
The governor had previously made the acquaintance of La
Fayette in Paris, and the meeting of these distinguished
statesmen in this distant frontier, as Illinois then was, made
the fires oi' freedom burn anew, and was a season of rejoicing
to the French as well as the Americans.
In the autumn election of 1S2(! Ninian Edwards was elected
governor and Wm. Kinney lieuteiumt governor of Illinois, and
were inaugurated Pecember <Uh. No exciting questions came
up under his administration, and the governor turned his
attention to improving the linances of the state. In tliis he
was successful, the annual expenses of the state being $20,000,
and the revenue $35,000 — small sums compared to its present
outgoes and incomes.
*8ee E. B. Washburue's Life of Governor Coles.
60 TIJE SALK WAR.
In August, 1830, John Keynolds was elected governor and
Zadoc Casey lieutenant governor, and were inaugurated Hc-
cemher 9th. The great event of his administration was the
Sauk war. The 8aul<s and Foxes tlu-n occupied the territory
intervening between the Rock and Mississippi rivers. I>y a
treaty held in St. Louis Novendtei- ;id, l.S(i4, this tribe had
ceded nearly all the lands they held in Illinois and Wisconsin
to the United States, General Harrison re])resenting tht^ I'ni ted
States, and five chiefs representing the Sauk and Fox and Winne-
bago nations in the treaty By its provisions the Indians were
to retain their lands till they were wan ted for settlements. I)ur-
ing the war of 1S12 with England, through the influence of
Colonel Dickson, a British officer at Prairie du Chien. a pai't of
this tribe had allied themselves to the Britis . and these were
called "The British Band." Black Hawk was their acknowl-
edged leader, while Keokuk, the ])rin('ipal chief of the tribe,
was opposed to the policy of resistance to the United States.
Black Hawk's village was on the tongue of land at the mouth
of the Rock river, between it and the Mississippi.
After the peace at the close of the war of ISI'2, amicable rela-
tions existed with the Indians till Jnlv 15th, 1830, at which time
Keokuk made a final cession at Prairie du Chien to the United
States of all the land liis tribe held east of the Misssisippi river.
This M'as done without the knowledge of Black Hawk, and
wnen this tenacious old veteran learned the news his indii;na-
tion was aroused, for he had always been op})osed to yielding
territory to the whites. By it^s stipulations Black Hawk and
his band were to leave their village the next year and occupy
land west of the Mississip})i. Keokuk used his influence to
persuade the whole tribe to do it, while Black Hawk took the
other side. Keokuk with his band crossed the river, but
Black Hawk, instead of quietly submitting, scoured the country
from Canada to the Mississijipi to secure aid to his cause. He
declared the treaty of 1804 to have been obtained through
fraud, and determined to hold his position.
TllK SALK WAK. 61
During the winter of 1830-1, as usual, his whole tnl)e left
tlieir village on u hunting exeursion. lu procure furs where-
with to pay their debts to the traders and \ni\ new supplies of
goods. On their return in the foll<nving April they found
their village in possession of the palefaces. The fur trader at
Hock Island, a former friend of Black Hawk, had purchased
the very ground on wliicli tlic village stood, and he and his
associates were making preparations to cultivate the a<ijacent
corn-field of TOO acres. The indiirnation of the Indians was
now aroused, hut, owing to the temperate counsels of Black
Hawk, a compromise was made by which the field was divided
between the new claimants and the Indians, each to cultivate
their respective half
This truce did not ])revent disputes, and even trespassing on
each other's rights, and on the IStli of May eight of the white
settlers united in a memorial to Governor Revnolds settiiiii:
forth their grievances. On the 27th he made a call for 7<»0
volunteers to protect the settlers. General Gaines then held
command of this military district, and reached Foi't Arm-
strong, on Rock Island, on the Tth of June. To the gov-
ernors call l.tJOO volunteers had responded, and were ])roniptly
on the sj)ot ready to execute the orders of General Gaines.
AVhen they came to Black Hawk's village he yielded to the
situation and crossed over to the west side with his tribe on
the night of the 2-tth. General Gaines took possession of his
village on the 26tli. Black Hawk meantime, with his starving
followers, were encamped on the opposite side of the river,
with a white fiag fluttering over their heads. On the 30th a
treaty was held with him, and Black Hawk gave u[, his inten-
tions of holding his lands. Rations were dealt out to the
submissive Indians, and the volunteers were disniisf-ed
Early in April the following year, 1S32, Black ^lawk in an
evil hour recrossed the Mississippi with his band and marched
up the Rock river, under pretense, perhaps sincere, of paying
a visit to his Winnebago friends in Wisconsin, to plant corn
62 THK SATK WAK.
in tlu'ir countrv- (Toiioral Atkinson tlieii licld coininaiKl of
Fort Armstrong, ami sent inessenijrrs sifter liiiii to warti liitii
back. Black Hawk ])aifl iio heed to the waniiiii;, l>iit con-
tinned on liis way till l)ixon'< ferry was reaclie*!. wlien> lie
eiicaiMpe«l.
Pending their stay at the place ^Frs. Dixon invited Klack
Iliiwk and his friends to dine with her, she herself playing
hostess at the tahle and entering freely into conversation witlj
her tawny gnests, and Black Hawk, as he a(;knowled^ed, felt
coni})liniented hy her respectful attentions to himself and
friends, especially hecause slie sat at the tahle and enjoyed the
dinner with them.*
The news of Black Hawk's return to Illinois soon reached
the ears of (xovernor Reynolds, wlio forthwith raised a force
of 1,S00 volunteers, to he ])Ut under the command of Creneral
Whitesides, to follow him. The army readied Dixon the 12th
of ^fay. Meantime Black Hawk had left the place and en-
camped on the banks of Sycamore creek, a tributary of the
Rock river thirty miles above.
Two days after the arrival of the volunteers at Dixon, an
ambitions officer named Stillman begged the privilege of the
general in command of making a reconnoisance on Black
Hawk's camp. With reluctance it was granted, and Major
Stillman started with 275 men for the adventure. Black Hawk
was entertaining his Winnebago friends at a dog feast when the
volunteers approaelied liis cam]>, and he sent a party of six
men to meet them under protection of a white tiag. By some
misdirection this party was flred on by the undisci})lined vol-
unteers and two of them killed while in retreat.f Pending this
melee the forces of Stillman were scattered beyond the control
of their commander while giving chase to the flying truce-
bearers, and Black Hawk, justly indignant at the trejitment
*For this incident tlie writer is indebted to u dau^^hter of Mr. and Mrs.
Dixon, who now survives her worthy parents at the place.
f Reynolds' Illinois.
riii; ^.\l K w Ai;. i*'^
tlu'V liiul nc'civrd, nii>L'(l tlir \var-\vliouj» aii<l n'|»ell«'«l tlu'
iitrack with liis accnstoiiifd >|iirit. Tln' voliuitft'iN wn-c in iki
ctni<liti<»ii til cvt'ii act t>ii tlir il»'t"i'iisi\«-. and t1f<l in cnnt'iisittn
hc'torr liiiii, li'avinj; 1 I <>t" tlu-ir niinilttr dt ;nl. Tliis was the
fir>t Iilntitj drawn in the Sauk wai-. 'Iln- t'ui^itivcs reached
I)i.\('U the lu'xt duv, stiii<;iM<j^ under the most disi;racet"ii! (let'eat
ever it'Cfived hy wldti' men at tlic hands i>t' Indian>. Tliis
iusij/iiiticaut atitiir nuw lUack Hawk a ci-uinl" tif citniturt. hut
it stimulated tlie goverutiu-nt t«> prouipt action to juTvent tlie
Wiiiuehaii^us and I'ottawattoinies troiii takiuj^ u]) tlie hatchet.
At that tiuu' llw nortlieru frontier settlcinents of" Tlliiiois
harely reached liureau creek, Plainville and Xaperville. The
lead mines had drawn to the vicinity ot" Galena settlements
twelve or fifteen Uiiles in extent, and Chicaj^o was then a \il-
hiire of two or thn'c hundred iidiabitants, sheltered liv the
protection of Fort Dearhorn.
The alarm was soon carried to these frontiers, cluefly through
the eft'orts of that no'ole old Pottowatt<iniie chief, Shahena,
and l»y his timely warnin<; the settlers on the Bureau tied to
the fort at Ottawa, while those around Plainfield and Na])er-
ville took refuge at Fort I)ear!)orn, hut unhappily at Indian
creek, under a treacherous sense of security, a few families
paid no heed t(» the warning, and in a short time T" painted
savages came upon them aiul butchered 15 defenseless victims.
Two hoys escaped hy flight, and two girls, Sylvia aiul Rachel
Hall, were taken captive to the camp of Black Hawk. They
were treated kindly, and soon ransomed through the influence
of the AVinnehagoes.
The news of an Indian war on the frontier spread rap;<lly
through every liamlet in the eastern states, aiul measures \\ei«'
promptly taken hy the administration to meet the einergeiu'y.
Nine companies were sent to the scene under command of
General Scott. He arrived at Fort Dearhorn at 2 o'clock on
the morning of the 8th (»f July. The cholera had broken out
among his men on the way. and the news of his arrival and of
()4 TIIK ><.\l K WAR.
the feurful contii^ioii he had brought soon spread tlirough tlie
village, and most of its inliahitaiits lied t'roiii the plaee het'ore
(hiylight.*
While (renerai Scott is detained at Fort Dearborn by this
tafal duress, let us follow the fortunes oi' Black Ilawk.
The next day after the defeat of Stillinan General White-
side led liis entire force to the scene. There were the tent
marks of IJlack Hawk's army, and the lifeless bodies of 11
victims divested of their scalps, which were doubtless dangling
frojn the belts of as many Sauk warriors. But the wily Black
Hawk had fled northward, whither was not known.
The •2,400 men who had volunteered in the service had now
.-eeu enougli Indian tighting to gratity their curiosity, and,
their term <>f service having nearly expired, they were dis-
chai'ged and 2.000 niore men recruited to fill their places.
During the interim Black Hawk was busy with his scoutiTig
])arties. chiefly aimed against the settlements around (xalena.
Many small skii-mishes were fought in this direction, of which
the attack on Apple Kiver fort on .June 0th, where Elizabeth
now stands, was tlie most notable. The place was besieged for
a whole day, but the obstinate defenders showed no signs of
yielding, and Black Hawk, who himself commanded the attack,
retreated. < )n his way back to his head([uarters on the 2Ht\\,
at Kellogg's grove, he came in collision with a detachment of
troops under Colonel Dement, numbering 150 men. The
veteran chief tried to draw Dement into an ambuscade, which
he barely escaped, and broui^ht his men safelv near the build-
ings of Mr. Kellogg at the grove, taking refuge in them, trom
whence Black Hawk retired after an ineftectual attempt to dis-
lodge them. A small number of men were killed on each side.
After the failure of the first campaign. General Whitesides
refused any command but enlisted in the ranks, and the new
forces raised were divided into three divisions, to be com-
*The stampede of the Chicago villai^'ers is vou( hcd for to the writer by
Benjamin Hall, wlio married asistcrof Judge Cnton.
THE 8ALK WAK. 65
niiiiuled by General Alexander Posey, General Milton K.
Alexander, and General James D. Henry, the whole under
general couiinand of General Brady. But the latter was soon
disabled l)y sickness, and the chief command devolved upon
General Atkinson.
Seeing this formidable force arrayed against him. Black
Hawk determined to retreat to the north and save himself by
crossing the Mississippi river, but he was overtaken on the
banks of the Wisconsin, at Blue Mounds, bv General Henry's
division, and a battle ensued July 2l6t, in which he lost 50
men while crossing the river.
Black Hawk continued his retreat after the battle till he
was again overtaken, August 2d, near the mouth of Bad Ax
river, in Wisconsin. A liattle followed, in wliich nearly the
entire remnant of JUack Hawk's army were killed or drowned
in attempting to cross the river. Black Hawk fled to Prairie
La Cross, a Winnebago village, where he surrendered himself
to Cliaetar and One-eyed Decora, two Winnebago chiefs, who
delivered him up to General Street, the Indian agent at Prai-
rie du Chien, t>n the 27th of August.
As soon as the cholera had piirtially subsided among the
troops of General Scott, he moved his quarters from Fort
Dearborn to the banks of the Desplaines river, where, after
his soldiers had sufficiently recruited, he sent the main body,
under command of Colonel Cummings, to the present site of
Beloit, then a deserted Winnebago village.*
Here instructions came from tlie general in chief command
for the army to march down Rock river to Fort Armstrong,
on Rock Island, to which place General Scott with his staflt
had arrived by a hasty march across the country by way of
Naperville.-j-
*R. N. Murray, who now lives in Naperville, was employed as teamster
by Cummings on the march, and to him is the writer indebted for the loca-,
tion of the route taken.
fFor the route of General Scott the writer is indebted to Louis Elsworth,
of Naperville, who conferred with the general while at the place on his way.
6ti BLACK HAWK A PRISONER.
On the 10th of September the Indian prisoners were sent
to Jefferson Barracks, just below St. Louis, from which place
Black Hawk was sent to Washington, arriving there April 3d,
1833. On the 26th he was sent to Fortress Monroe, where he
remained till the -Ith of June, when he was returned to his
people without further incarceration, for nothing worse than
honorable warfare could be charged against him. On the way
he was exhibited as a sort of lion in all the large cities through
which he passed, and the winning smiles of the ladies show-
ered on him were rewarded M'ith compliments in broken
English, amusing, earnest, and sometimes ludicrous. But the
old veteran was not always flattering in his words. He
prophesied that the white man would see the day that their
courts of justice and their prisons would be insufficient to
protect the community against the criminals that civilization
encouraged and developed.*
On his return he was restored to his tribe as a chief sub-
ordinate t(.> Keokuk. He died October 3d, 1835, at his home
on the Des Moines river, Iowa, near the present village of
lowaville, in Wappelo county. He was buried in a sitting
posture, and a large mound raised over his grave, which still
marks the resting place of him who may with propriety be
called the last native defender of the soil of Illinois. These
were the stirring events of Governor Reynolds' administra-
tion, the like of which cannot be rejjeated for want of ma-
terials.
Zadoc Casey, the lieutenant governor, was elected to con-
gress in 1832, and consequently resigned his position, where-
upon L. D. Ewingwas chosen to fill his place. In 1834 Gov-
ernor Reynolds vras elected to congress, which elevated Mr.
Ewing to the governor's chair to fill the expiring term, which
was only fifteen days.
Joseph Duncan was elected governor in August, 1834, and
inaugurated the succeeding November the 17th. Alexander
♦Drake.
NEW STATE BANK. 67
M. Jenkins was at the same time elected lieutenant governor.
Under this administration a new state bank was chartered,
with a capital of $1,500,000. By an act of the legislature
March 4th, 1837, the capital stock of this bank was increased
$2,000,000, which the state itself assumed, and also assumed
stock of the Shawneetown branch of this bank to the amount
of $1,000,000 more. Tlie object of this financial scheme was
to enable the state to build internal improvements for trans-
portation by slack water navigation of the AV^abash and Rock
rivers, and also by means of railroads, the objects of which
were to divert trade from St. Louis to Alton. The building
of the Illinois and Michigan canal was also a cherished state
policy. That these efforts were premature and in some direc-
tions impracticable the suspension of specie payments by the
banks in May, 1837, proved. The following July, at a special
session of the legislature, the state came to the rescue of the
banks and legalized their suspension.
Thomas Carlin was elected governor in August, 1838, and
inaugurated December 3d. Stinson II. Anderson was elected
lieutenant governor. The state was then casting about in
every direction for relief from the financial embarrassments
which had lately presented such a barrier in her path. In this
emergency, instead of retrenching taxation by abandoning a
portion of the public works it had undertaken in order to
assure the completion of at least a portion of them, by which
to secure an income to the state, the legislature made additional
appro})riations, and extended its plans fur public improve-
ments into new channels not before contemplated. The gov-
ernor was authorized to negotiate a loan of $4,000,000 for the
single object of prosecuting work on the Illinois and Michi-
gan canal, which was the only successful scheme that had yet
been undertaken. Up to the following January, 1839, there
had been but $1,400,000 expended on the canal. The onerous
burden of state indebtedness, together with the advocacy of
repudiation by a strong party had the effect to almost, if not
68 FAILING OF STATE BANK.
quite, destroy public confidence in the credit of the state. Of
all the public works she hud undertaken, the portion of the
Northern Croiss railroad from IMerodosia to Springfield only
was finished, it being put in operation Xoveniber 8th, 1838 —
the first in the state operated by steam power, but it was a
pitiful showing for the immense expenditures that had been
thus far dispensed with such prodigality. Its revenues could
only come from local patronage, barely sufiicient to pay its
running expenses. After July, 1841, no further efibrts were
made to pay interest on the public debt,* and early the next
year the state banks broke down completely. -j- The public
debt then was $14,000,000 — a large t^uni for the young state
in its poverty of both means and credit, and its bends declined
to 14 cents on the dollar, without buyers at even that price.
While these financial questions were vexing the brains of
Illinois financiers, there were other issues growing into ])rom-
inence on the !:.oil of Illinois destined to revolutionize the
whole political fabric of the union. In the presidential can-
vass of 1840 " log cabins and hard cider " were not the only
things thought of. James G. Birney, a citizen of Fulton
county, had the moral courage to allow himself to be the
presidential candidate for the anti-slavery party. This was the
first ofiicial action in the United States taken in this direction,
and southern Illinois may in this justly claim the honor of
being the cradle of that party crowned with success under
another of her sons at a later date- — Abraham Lincoln.
Thomas Ford was elected governor in August, and inaug-
urated December Btli, 1842. John Moore was elected
lieutenant-governor. Happily for the welfare of the state
one of the public works already begun had all the ele-
ments of practical utility J l; the most exacting capitalist
could ask. This was the Illinois and Michigan canal. The
abandonment of all the others was a relief to the state, while
its best hopes centered in the completion of this. To do this
♦Davidson and Stuve. • fldem.
^ MOEMON TROUBLES. 69
required $3,000,000, according to the original phui, whicli was
to make it 40 feet wide at the hottom, 60 feet wide at the sur-
face, and of a de])th sufficient for six feet of water to flow from
Lake ^Michigan directly intu it through tlie suniniit hetween
Lockport and Chicago. By reducing these dimensions to a
shallow cut tlie work could he done for $1,600,0(»0, and the
canal could he su{)plied with water by a steam pump.* It
now remained to negotiate the necessary loan to Unish the
canal as per the reduced dimensions. To accomplish this re-
sult the following gentlemen met in council in the fall of
18-42: Arthur Bronson, of Nev York, and Wm. B. Ogden,
Justin Butteriield and Isaac N. Arnold, of Chicago. At this
meeting Mr. Bronson proposed to offer to the bondholders the
canal and its revenues when tinished, including its landed
equities, as security for the advances required to finish it. The
plan was timely, simple and just, and it only required the
sanction of the state to put it into practice. Mr. Butterfield
drew up the necessary bill for presentation to the legislsture,
and Governor Ford used his influence in its favor. Mr.
Arnold was then chairman of the committee on finance, and
rendered essential service in the passage c!" the bill, whicli
only escaped defeat by a small majority. Woi'k was resumed
on the canal as soon as the loan was obtained by the terms
which the new bill made it legal to offer to the bondholders,
which was not till 1845. The canal was finished April 19th,
1848.
Financial embarrassment was not the only thing against
which Governor Ford had to contend. The Mormons had
settled at Nauvoo in 1840, and early in his administration
disturbances with them began. Acts of violence soon accu-
mulated on both sides, till the Mormons left the state in the
spring of 1846.
The Mexican war was declared during his administration,
*To E. B. Talcott and Gurdon S. Hubbard belongs the honor of first pro-
posing this plan.
70 CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION.
and the first rei^iment of Illinois volunteers ever enrolled for
field service wus sent to tiiis wnr.
Augustus C. French was elected governor at the August
election in 1846, and inaugurated December 0th. Joseph B.
Wells was elected lieutenant governor. The Mexican war was
then in full tide of progress, and live more regiments of Illi-
nois volunteers were raised bv the state for its service. The
treaty of Guadaloupe Hidalgo, wliich bears date of February
2d, ISiS, established peace between the two belligerent na-
tions, and the soldiers returned and were honoral)ly discharged.
On the 7th of June, 1847, a convention was hehl in Spring-
field for the purpose of framing a new constitution. Its labors
were concluded on the 31st of the following August, and the
new constitution was ratified by a vote of the people in March,
1848. By its provisions a new election of state ofiicers was
ordered.
Governor French was reelected, which gave him two terms,
though the first term was aV)ridged to two years. Wm. Mur-
try was lieutenant governor during his second term. Previous
to the constitution of 1848 there had been no subdivision of
counties into civil townships, and consequently no township
organization. This machinery for the details of local govern-
ment was authorized 1>y the new constitution, and was per-
fected in 1851, according to the system now in practice. The
law of homestead exemption was also introduced the same
year.
Joel A. Matteson was elected governor in November, 1852,
and inaugurated January 9th, 1853. G. Koerner was lieuten-
ant governor. At the same general election for governor a
new element in politics was evolved by making up a ticket for
state ofiicers representing the abolition party, at the head of
which stood the name of Dexter A. Knowlton, candidate for
governor, and Phiio Carpenter, candidate for lieutenant gov-
ernor. This was the first attempt to recognize this party
politically in the state. It was unsuccessful, as the candidates
E. B. WASIIBUKNK. 71
were not elected, but to offset the defeat a substiintial victory
to the an ti -slavery cause was gained in November the same
year by the election of" E. B. Washburne to congress. This
was accomj)lished by a union of the old whig party with the '
anti-slavery party. Thf victory thus accomplished was no
barren one, for none knew better than Mr. Washburne how to
make the most of it, and from it grew the events, step by step,
which brought Abraham Lincoln before the people as an elo-
quent exponent of the cause that Mr. VVashburue's election
had crowned with the prestige oi' victory and honored with
his official service.
Another notable event during Governor Matteson's admin-
istration was a state law for the support of public shoois,
passed on the loth of February, 1855.
Wm. II. Bissell was elected governor at the November elec-
tion in 1856. and inaugurated January 12th, 1857. John
Wood was elected lieutenant governor. It was during the
eventful campaign of Buchanan and Fremont's presidential
CJinvass. Mr. Bissell was a pronounced republican, and his
election was a crushing blow to the old par^y in })ower. As
might be supposed, his administration was a strong one, not
oidy in both branches of the le pslature, but political circles out-
side contributed their share to keep the political cauldron boil-
ing. In the winter of 1858-9 a United States senator was to
be chosen to fill the place of Judge Douglas' expiring term.
His reelection was looked upon to be a necessity to vindicate
the position he had taken in destroying the Missouri Com-
promise. Meanwhile the republican party were equally tena-
cious to defend the position which they had taken antagonistic
to the extension of slavery into new territories, and for an
instrument wherewith to accomplish this result by the defeat
of Douglas, their choice fell on Abraham Lincoln as a, candi-
date to oppose him for the senatorship. The joint debate
between these two representatives of their respective parties'
forms an era in national politics not soon to be forgotten. Both
72 ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
were champions, and under their forensic power tlie issue
gatliered force throuijhout the length and breadth of the United
States. Mr. Doughis won the election by a small majority in
the legislature, while Mr. Lincoln had a small majority of tii"
voters, hut his very defeat crowned him with laurels. His
native power had been shown, and that was all the real exi-
gency demanded, as was proven by the sequel.
On the 8th of March, 18()(), Governor Bissell died, and
John Wood, the lieutenant governor, served the ensuing ten
months of the term. On the 16th of the following May the
great republican convention met in Chicago. That this place
was selected for it gave evidence of the commanding position
of the state, especially in an issue which even then threatened
the j)eace of the whole Union. On the third ballot at this
convention Abraham Lincoln was nominated as the republican
candidate for the presidency, and Hannibal Hamlin was ncmii-
nated as candidate for the vice presidency, when the conven-
tion adjourned.
Richard Yates was elected governor of Illinois at the autumn
election of 1860, and inaugurated January 14rth, 1861. Thomas
Marshall was eLcted lieutenant governor. The alarms of civil
war were even then sounding, but when Fort Sumter was fired
on these alarms became realities. Then it was that our Llii-
nois senator, Stephen A. Douglas, covered himself with glory,
and honored his state by a hearty endorsement of Mr. Lin-
coln's policy, and although he soon afterwards died, he had
set a noble exam])le of patriotism and magnanimity to his
party, which had a most salutary effect on the state and on
the issues of the war.
The number of troops sent from Hlinois to the field was
185,941 infantry, 32,082 cavalry, and 7,277 artillery, making
an aggregate of 225,300. Besides these, the array of Illinois
men who acted as leaders of armies in the field or of public
opinion in favor of the principles for which the Union armies
were fighting, stands at the head of the list in the whole
LINCOLN ASSASSINATED. 73
United States, and furiiislies an historical record worthy of a
great state. The following are the prominent names of this
list, to which large numbers might be added of less fame but
equal merit as to zeal for the cause: Abraham Lincoln, Stephen
A. Douglas, Ulysses S. Grant, John A. Logan, Elihu B.
Washburne, Elmer E. Ellsworth, Colonel Mulligan, B. J.
Sweet, Richard Yates, Richard J. Oglesby, John M. Palmer,
John L. Beveridge, E. D. Baker, John F. Farnswurth, R. J.
Ingersoll.
Richard J. Oglesby was elected governor at the November
election of 1864, and was inaugurated January 18(55. Wm.
Bross was elected lieutenant governor at the same time. Peace
followed the ne.xt spring, and the ratification of the thirteenth
amendment to the constitution of the United States, which
abolished slavery, was promptly effected by the Illinois legis-
lature. The following April, on the morning of the loth,
news came of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, which
had tiiken place the evening previous at Ford's theatre. The
name of the assassin was John Wilkes Booth. No state in
the Union felt the force of this cruel blow more than Illinois.
Mr. Lincoln was her honored son, her pride, and it was like a
death in the family. The state was in mourning, business was
laid aside in cities, and their stores were closed without wait-
ing for public orders to do so, and grief and indignation took
possession of every heart.
John M. Palmer was elected governor of Illinois at the
November election of 1868, and inaugurated January 11th,
1869. John Doughterty was lieutenant governor The great
feature of his administration was the convention which met
in Springfield December 13th, 1869, to amend the constitu-
tion of the state, which had not been changed since 1848.
Mr. Kellogg speaks of the work this convention accomplished
as follows: "• In adopting the constitution of 1870 the people
forbid special legislation, condemned loose methods of legis-
lation, stopped reckless debt on the part of the state, county
74 8TATK INSTITUTIONS.
and iiuuiicipality, restricted very materially the power of the
legislature, while enjoininu- particular radical changes, increased
the reverence for Ian-, tlie responsibility ni' those who admin-
ister it. and gave to the minority in every county a voice in
making the laws. No other state constitution embraces so
many inlii!)iti>»ns, and none so many direct mandates."
Eichard ,1. (^)glesby Mas reelected governor in tlu' autumn
of 1ST2, and inaumirated Januarv 18th. isTo. John L.
Beveridge was elected lieutenant governor at ilie same time.
January 23d Governor Oglesby resigned, and was elected to
the United States senate. ]V[i". Beveridge now became trov-
ernor. Among the most important measures <luring his
administration was one i'ov reorganizing the state institutions,
charitable, reformatory, and penal, of which the following are
the names: Northern Hospital for the Insane, at Elgin; East-
ern Hospital for the Insane, at Kankakee; Central Hospital
for the Insane, at Jacksonville; Southern IIos])ital for the
Insane, at Anna; Institution for the Deaf and Dumb, at
elacksonville; Institutit)n for the Blind, at Jacksonville; Asy-
lum foi- Feeble-Minded Children, at Lincoln; Eye and Ear
Infirmary, at Chicago; Illinois Orphan Home, at Normal;
Industrial I iiiversity. at Urbana; State Normal University,
at Normal; Soutliern Normal University, at Carbondale; Illi-
nois State Penitentiary, at Joliet; Southern IlliiKus Peniten-
tiary, at Chester; State Reform School, at Pontiac.
Shell >y ^r. Cullom was elected governor in the fall of 1876,
and inaugurated January Sth, 1877. Andrew Shuman. of the
Chicago EvenliKj JournnU was at the same time elected lieu-
tenant governor. Great depression prevailed in financial
circles at this time, as a consequence of the heavy failures of
1873. the effect of which had seemed to gather force from
that time to the end of Governor Cullom's first administra-
tion. This unspeculative period was not calculated to call
forth any new issues, but the governor's energies were at one
time put to task to quell a spirit of insubordination .that had
STATE OUT OF DEBT. 76
been begun in Pittsburg among the laboring classes, and
transferred to Illinois at Chicago, East St. Luuis and Braid-
wood, at which places laboring men for a short time refused
to work or allow others to work. These disturbances were
soon quelled, and the wheels of industry again set in motion.
Governor CuUom was reelected in the fall «>f 1880, and
inaugurated January 10th, 1881. John M. Hamilton was
elected lieutenant governor at the same time. The governor
announced in his message that the last dollar of the state debt
had been paid or provided for. The only amounts not paid
were $23,000 due, upon which interest had stopped, and which
had never been ]> resented for collection and supposed to have
been lost, and about $950,000 due from the state to the school
fund, and which cannot be paid, as that fund only requires the
interest on the amount. As the state annually collects for the
school fund and pays oiit to the counties $1,000,000, it is
simply a legal tiction to call this a debt.
March ith, 1883, the term of David Davis as senator from
Illinois expired, and Governor Cullom was chosen to fill his
place. This promoted Lieutenant Governor John M, Hamilton
to the position made vacant by the resignation of Governor
Cullom, and he is the present governor of Illinois.
76 LEGISLATIVE DEl'AliTME^T.
CHAPTKR VTT.
STATE GOVEHNxMENT OF ILLINOIS.
BY .\AJ{ON W. KELLO(;(}.
Blackstone defines law as " a rule of action"; civil law as a
rule of civil action, prescribing what is rieht and forbidding
what is wrong.
The civil government of the state is estaWished by the \vill
of the people — by which word is meant male citizen of legal
age — as expressed in a written constitution, voted for directly
by the people, and in laws passed in conformity to that con-
stitution by a general assembly, composed of two houses, the
senate and the hoixse of representatives, elected by the people
from fifty-one separate districts.
All laws to be valid must be passed by both houses in the
way prescribed by the constitution, must be in accordance with
its requirements, and not repugnant to the laws and constitu-
tion of the United States.
The powers of government of this state, like all others in
civilized countries, are divided into three distinct departments,
legislative, executive, and judicial, no one of which can inter-
fere with either of the others.
THK LEGISLATIVK DEPARTMENT.
Of Election. — Tlie powers ajid duties of the legislative de-
partment are wholly defined in the state constitution; restric-
tions upon its powers are provided both in the state and fed-
eral constitutions.
Elections of members of the general assembly occur bien-
nially, on the years of even date, on Tuesday next after the
Ei.ECriONS. 77
first Monday of l^ovcmber. At each of these elections all tlie
members of the house arc elected, three from each district,
and as nearly as possible one-half of the senators. The dis-
tricts are reformed every ten years, on the year foll«Avin<r the
year of the federal census, and must be formed of contiguous
territory, and, as nearly as may be, without dividing counties
(except where a county is lar^e enough for more than one dis-
trict) of equal population. The number of districts cannot
be increased or diminished.
Members of the house are elected on what is called the
"cumulative plan," a plan by which the political party which
is in the minority in any district may elect one of the three
representatives by concentrating their force, and hence is
frecjuently called the " minority plan." This plan permits
any voter to cast three votes for representative. He may cast
all lor one candidate, two for one and one for another, one for
each of three, or one and a lialf votes for each of two can-
didates. No other state in the Union has this cumulative
plan of voting. In all elections the candidate receiving the
hiifhest number of votes is elected.
Powers and Duties. — All laws passed by the general assem-
l)ly must have been read in full on three separate days in each
house, printed, and have received the affirmative votes of a
majority of those elected to each liouse — that is, twenty-six in
the senate and seventy-seven in the house, and the names of
those voting must be entered on the journal. In addition to
these constitutional provisions, each house adopts certain rules,
wliich may l)e, and often are, suspended by a two-thirds vote.
These rules provide, among other things, that l)ills shall be re-
ferred to the standing committees of the house, where they
are discussed, and amendments suggested and prepared, but no
committee can do more than recommend action. It is also
the duty, specilically, of the general assembly to appropriate
money to carry on the state government, pass laws to provide
a system of free schools, to regulate the charges of railroads,
78 LEGI8LATIVK HKSTRICTIONS.
to protect producers and sliij)pers ut" grain, for inspection of
grain, to raise revenue, to fix fees and salaries of officers, to
provide ft)r county and township or<^anizati()ns, and make a^r-
tain changes in the judicial system of the state.
Limitation.^ and lieHrirtions. — The theorv of tlie legis-
lative power is, and we (U'rived it from the mother country,
which lias no written formal constitution, that a legislature
may do anytiiing not physically impossible. To obviate the
difficulties which would grow out of the use of absolute
power, all the states of the Union have restricted legislative
power. Illinois stands in advance of all otiier states in the
number of such limitations. The most important of these,
next to those established by the " bill of rights," common to
all written constitutions — no person shall be «lej)rived of life,
liberty or property, without due process of law, shall enjoy
religions liberty, liberty of the press, trial by jury. Tiiay bear
arms, may give bail when accused of all crimes except murder
in the first degree, to freely assemble, petition, etc. — are: that
all legislation shall be general, no special or local laws shall
be passed; that lotteries or gift enterprises shall not be auth-
orized; that no bill shall contain but one subject, and that
shall be expressed in its title; no existing law shall be altered
or amended by reference to its title, but the section amended
must appear in the bill; that the canal shall not be sold or
leased, nor more than three and a half million dollars ex-
pended on the state house without a vote of the people; that
counties and other localities shall not be authorized to vote
aid to railroads or other enterprises, or exempt any pro])erty
from taxation; that no debt shall be authorized beyond 5 per
cent, of the assessed valuation of the real and personal property
of any county, city, town or district; that the general assembly
shall not increase its own pay, or that of any officer of the state
or county, and that it shall not assume the debt of any county.
THE EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT.
The executive department enforces and executes the will of
KXECITIVK DKl'AKTMKNT. 79
the people as expressed in thf''" constitution iind law.s, subject
to such intiTprctatioii as tiie judiciary may ^ive.
Ilmr ('(tiixt'dutcd. — The extcutioii of the laws is jdaced in
the hands of a m>vernor, secretary of state, treasurer, attorncv
general, auditor of {)ul)lic accounts, superintendent of public
instruction, and state hoard of equalization of assessments,
elected hy the people, all tor four years except the treasurer,
who holds his office f(U' two yt'ars and cannot be his own suc-
cessor, and in several boards of commii^tiloners and trustees
aj)pointe(l by the <;ovurnor with the a]»[»roval of the senate.
The "boards," which are all established by law, and are
mere assistants of the ^oyeruor in performinfjf specific acts of
duty aiul authority, are: Ilailroad and warehouse counnission-
ers, three members; commissioners of state charities, five
members; health, seven mendters; educatujn. fifteen mem-
bers; penitentiary commissioners, three members; canal com-
missioners, three members; fish commissioners, three mem-
bers; pharmacy, five members; and boards of trustees for
each state institution, three metubers. The state board of
agriculture, twenty-one members, which l)elongs to the exec-
utive branch, is elected by delejfates selected bv county and
uniou agricultural societies, as prescribed by law.
Duties. — The Governor \h charged with seeing that the laws
are faithfully executed; he must approve all bills before they
become laws; appoint officers where no provision is made for
their election, and, through the various boards of commission-
ers and trustees, enforce laws and regulations in the various
branches of the state government. lie may remove officers
for dereliction of duty; must approve of accounts other than
regular salaries; is commander-in-chief of the militia, and
commissions all officers.
The Lieutenant Guvornor presides over the senate, but cannot
.vote except in case of a tie, and acts as governor in the absence
from the state of that officer, or during his temporary inability
to act, and become governor for the balance of the term of
80 STATE OFFICERS,
office in case ot" resignation, death, or removal from otiice of
the governor. From the reports made to him by all other
state officers, commissioners and trustees, all of which are
printed, we derive most of tlie information which we have of
the affairs of the state, its expenses, and what the money is
ex]>ende(l for.
The Auditor of Public Accounts stands between the people
and the laws. No monev can be d"awn from the treasury but
upon his warrant, and his duty is to see that the money has l)een
ajipropriated by laws properly passed, and all accounts therefor
properly certihed and apprt)ved before he draws liis warrant.
He has also, by virtue of his office, charge of the insurance
department of the state. To him all companies rej)ort, and
receive from him authority to do business in the state.
The Secretary of State keeps all the records. He must keep
and preserve the journals of the general assembly, a roll of all
laws passed, a register of all official acts of the governor, keep
the great seal of state, attest all proclamations and commis-
sions of the governor, certify to all copies of laws, issue all
certificates of incorporation, and take charge of and preserve
all the property of the state at Springfield.
The Treasurer keeps the public funds and all moneys directed
by law to be placed in his custody; he receives and pavs out
money only on the order of the auditor of public accounts.
The Attorney General is the law officer of the state. He
consults and advises state, county, and other officials (»n law
points connected with their official duties, appears as counsel
for the state in any courts, state or federal. He may attend at
the trial of any person charged with crime, and direct the
prosecution, and give opinion in writing to either branch of the
general assembly, or its standing committees, when called for.
The Super intendi^nt of Public Instruction has charge of the
educational interests of the state, gives counsel and advice to
county and city superintendents, and works to elevate the
standard of education and the qualification of teachers.
JLUIOIAL DEPARTMENT. 81
Tlie State Board of Equalization equalizes the assessments
of real and personal property as made ])y the different counties,
and assesses the ca])ital stock of corpf)rations, tlie tracks and
rolling stock of railroads, and sends to each county clerk the
result of their labors. The auditor is ex-officio the chairman
of the board.
THE JUniCIAf, DKPAKTMENT.
The Judicial Power of the state is vested by the constitution
in one supreme court, sev'en judges; four appellate courts,"
three judges each; circuit courts, a superior court of Cook
county, a few city courts established by special acts previous
t(» the adoption of the present constitution and retained by its
provisions, probate courts in counties of one hundred thousand
or more inhabitants, county courts, which are also courts of
probate in all counties of less inhabitants than necessary to
entitle them to probate courts, and justices of the peace. Every
court except the latter has a clerk for the keeping of its records.
The general duties of courts are to hear and determine issues
between citizens, to try persons accused of crime, to construe
the laws passed by the legislature, decide as to their constitu-
ti«)nality, and of probate courts to settle the estates of deceased
persons and exercise a control over the property of minors.
In the former cases mentioned, juries of the people, except
explicitly waived by the parties, must hear the evidence, under
direction of the court, and decide the matter. In construing
and deciding the constitutionality of laws no jury is had. All
laws are supposed to be constitutional until otherwise decided.
Tenure of Office. — Judges, clerks, prosecuting attorneys
and justices of the peace are elected by the people ; supreme
judges for nine years, their clerks for six years, circuit judges
for six years, and all other officers for four years, except the
justices of the peace in Cook county, who are appointed by
the governor, with the consent of the senate, upon the recom-
mendation of the judges of that county.
6
82 COUNTY OFFICERS.
County Officers. — In addition to the officers mentioned,
there are elected in each connty, by the people, a sherift*,
treasurer, county superintendent of schools, coroner, surveyor,
and County attorney, wlio.e duties are readily understood.
The county clerk is ex-qffieio clerk of the county court. The
clerk of the circuit court is ex-officio recorder of deeds and mort-
gages, except in counties of sixty thousand inhabitants, in which
counties a recorder is elected. In counties which have adopted
"township organization," the county affairs are managed by a
'board of supervisors, elected annually, but in townships of
more than four thousand inha])itants additional ones, or assist-
ant supervisors, are elected, according to population. The
affairs of Cook county are managed by a board of fifteen com-
missioners, a portion of whom are elected each year; but, as
a part of the old system of township organizatioji, township
officers are elected annually in that county, including the three
townships which make up the cit}- of Chicago. In counties
which have not adopted " township organization," the affairs
are conducted by a board of connty commissioners, consisting
of three members. In New England the township was the
nnit of ])olitical power. This principle has spread west, like
other IS^ew England institutions, and has become the rule in
the northern portion of this state.
Township Officers. — In counties under township organiza-
tion there are elected each year, besides officers heretofore
named, a town clerk, assessor, collector, highway commissioner,
and every four 3'ears justices of the peace and constables, who,
although elected in and by the voters of townships, have
county jurisdiction.
City Officers, etc. — All cities wliich are under the general
incorj)oration act elect a mayor, clerk, attorney, treasurer, and
not less than six aldermen for two years. The mayor appoints
the other officers. Cities which are under old special char-
ters elect such officers as their particular charters provide for.
Villages elect a board of trustees each year. Townships elect
VILLAGE OFFICERS. 83
three school trustees to care for tlieir school lunds, and scnool
districts elect three directors, or six members of boards of
education. It would seem that we have no lack of elections
and otHcials. By the laws of Illinois, women are eligible to
any school office.
CONCLUSION.
The preparation of these pages has been a labor of love by
one inspired by unbounded admiration for a state great in all
those things which awaken esteem and patriotic pride.
We have a state great in area, of incomparable richness
of soil, the productive capacity of which we have not yet
fully tested. There is not on the face of the globe another
tract of equal size, of equal productive capacity. It has
nearly six hundred miles of mivigable water boundary. Its
extreme length from north to south gives it a variety of
climate enjoyed by few other states in the Union. It is
underlaid v'tli coal sufficient to give it manufacturing power-
for millions who are to make it their home. Its progressive
strides from a distant border to the position of a central state;
from the seat of Indian trade in trii Lets and furs to a great
commercial center; from a territory to the foremost agricult-
ural state in the Union, has been witnessed by many of her
citizens who are still actively engaged in the persuits of .every
day life. Such is the condition of Illinois in 1883.
84 FIRST MERCHANDISE.
CHAPTER VTTI.
COMMEltCLU. HISTORY OF ILLINOIS.
No nation or state ever rose high in the scale of civilization
whose commercial relations with the outside world were lim-
ited, and it may with truth be said that nations rise in wealth
and grandeur almost in pi'oportion as they barter, buy and
sell with other nations or states.
The progress of Illinois in this direction has been marked
by many a change in the varied history of the country. Buf-
falo hides were the first articles of merchandise ever shipped
from the Illinois country, and the export of these began about
1720. They were sent down the Mississippi river to New
Orleans, which had then just been laid out as a French village.
A few years later wlieat, llour, and other agricultural produc-
tions followed in the same channel. The French fur traders
came into Northern Illuiois as early as the winter of 1674-5,*
and bought furs of the Indians for the Canada trade, but this
was not properly an ex])ort trade by white men, for these
traders were employed by Canadian com])anies to do thisAvork.
Shortly after the English took possession of Illinois in 17(55,
the British boa)'d of trade took the subject under consider-
ation of turning the trade of their French subjects here away
from the French of New Orleans to the lakes and tlie St.
Lawrence river, but nothing was ever done to accomplish such
a result.
Spain purchased Louisiana of France in 1762, which country
then included the territory west of the Mississippi rive; :md
*See Marquette's Journal, written in "Chicagou," 1675, translated by J.
G. Shea, and published in Euglisli in Dawson's IlistoricaJ Mag., New York-
SPANISH rOLICY. 85
New Oileans on its east Itaiik. Shortly after the peace of
Paris, in 1783, Spain closed the navi<;ation (jf tlie Mississi])pi
river against tlie coninierce of the west,* which cut nlf her
only avaihible channel of coininnnication with the sea, t\>v the
whole of Northern Illinois was then a desolate wild, ami the
shores uf Lake ]\f'chigan could not he reached by the Fivnch
of Illinois e.\cei)t by a long overland route across the prairies,
over which neither roads had been built, nor had streams been
bridged.
In 1795 Spain agreed by treatv, negotiated Oclober 27th by
Thomas Pinkney on the part of the United States, to yield to
the latter power the free navigation of the Mississi])pi,|- but
her ])rocrastinating policy in relinquishing her forts on the
banks of this stream, at Natchez and other place.-, delayed its
fulfillment till the Spanish gcn'ernment retroceded Louisiana
tt the French in 180O, by the secret treaty of St. Ildefonso.
This treaty was not published to the nations till two years
later, the next year aftei- which Louisiana was purchased ©f
the French by the United States, the treaty for which was
r^titied by congress on the 21st of October, 1803.
From this time onward till the water craft of the lakes had
reached Chicago as common carriers, which was in ai)out
1835, the export trade of Illinois went to New Orleans with-
out hindrance, and even from this latter date (1835) to the
*VVln'n England c()nc<'ded the Missisfsippi river as the western boundarj' of
the United States at the peaee of 1783, she also transferred to the new govern-
ment her rights of navigating this stream. When this treaty was signed
at Paris, it was done without the knowledge of the Spanish minister, who
claimed for his governnunt all the terrilorj- between the AUeghanies and
the Mississippi. Spain thus balked in her ambition to secure the valley of
the Mississippi to herself, was smarting under the sting of having been
humiliated l)y the able diplomacy of American statesmen, which was the
cause of her waj'wardness in excluding the Americans from navigating the
Mississippi. Iler excuse for this course was that England had transferred
a claim to which she herself had no right, Avhich was perhaps true, but it
was in vnin that the Spani.sh govermr.cr.' protested against the new order
of destiny that the fortunes ot v.'ar had brought.
tSee Treaty of San Lorenzo el Real, Am. State Papers, 1795.
86 I'lONEER BAILROAD8.
era ci' railroads, the Mississippi river was a more important
channel of trade to the State of Illinois than the lakes. Mean-
time the new motive power, destined to transcend both of the
original channels of trade, was slowly and surely approaching
the state from the Atlantic coast across the inter\enin«r
country, stu<ldin<r its hroad ])lains with towns in its course,
and multiplying its wealth.
The legislature of Illinois was composed of men of am-
bitious purposes from the first, and this spirit seemed to gather
strength as other states to the eastward set the exam})le of
building canals, and particularly i-ailroads.
The first ofiicial act here in this direction took place Janu-
ary 28th, 1831, at which time an act was passed by the gen-
eral assemldy for the survey of a route for a canal or railroad
in St. Clair county.* Other plans for public transportation
by means of canals, slack water navigation and railroads, were
subsequently chartered by the state, some of Mhich were pre-
mature, while others showed the wisdom and forecast of their
architects. Of the latter sort the Galena & Cliicago Union
and the Illinois Central railroads were examples — the first as
the pioneer east and west line through the state, and the last
as the pioneer north and south line from the southern extrem-
ity of the state to its great commercial emporium on the lakes
and to its northwestern tangent.
The Galena & Chicago Union railway company was incor-
porated by an act of the legislature January l^Jth, 1836. The
first ten miles of the road was finished from Chicago to Har-
lem December 30th, 1848. The road was completed to the
Mississip})i river at Fulton December 10th, 1855. It was the
first railroad tliat turned a locomotive wheel in the city of
Chicago, and the first built in the state to connect the com-
merce of the Mississippi to that of the lakes — the dream of a
generation now fulfilled. In October, 1865, this road was
*See paper read by W. K. Ackennan before the Chicago Historical So-
ciety, February, 1883.
LAKE MK'UKiAN. 87
consolidated with tlie Chicago tfe North- Western railway, bnt
its original name will live in history, together with the faith
which its builders had in Cliicago when they began the work
with but small means and slender patronage.
The Illinois Central road was one that liad been plaimed in
the minds of the ablest men in Illinois as early as 1835. The
canal connecting the lakes with the Illinois river was the
original thought not only of Illinois statesmen, bnt its concep-
tion was the admiration of the financiers throughout the north.
As soon as provision liad been made which should give this
enterprise an assurance of success, the next tiling ti> be done
was to extend the means of transportation from the soutliern
terminus of the canal at La Salie to the confluence of the Ohio
and Mississippi rivers. On the 18th of January, 1836, the
le<rishiture took the business in hand and chartered a road for
tliis purpose, but this and other attempts in the same direc-
tion were failures till January 14th, 1851, at which time the
present Illinois Central railroad was incorporated. It was
finished to Dunleith June 12th, 1855, and to Chicago Septem-
ber 26th, 1856.* Ere :his time t>ther trunk lines were
traversing the state, and many more were under consideration.
The Michigan Southern and Central roads were completed
from the east to Chicago, the first in Febriiary and the last in
May, 1852, which two were the great exemplary models after
which so many rivals for eastern connections with Chicairo
have been built. The success wliich these first attempts
achieved established a basis on wliich capital has ever since
souglit investment in Illinois, and established commercial re-
lations between every section of this state and the world at
large.
Lake Michigan extends her waters over 4()0 miles south of
the northern limit of the United States, which is on the 49th
parallel. The space thus crossed lies between the parallels of
41° 30' and 49°, and on this broad belt between the Atlantic
*Ackermaii's Address.
88 ILLINOIS THE COMMERCIAL FOCCS.
and the Pacific chiefly lie the cities and the channels of travel
between the east and the west. All these are forced around
the sonthern extremity of Lake Michigan, mostly through
Chicago, and thence across the state. Below Illinois tliere
are nu great trunk lines leading cast and west, hut from its
southern portions the railroads take southwesterly, southern,
and southeasterly directions, as from a common commercial
centre of the United States. Such the physical furces of na-
ture have nuide Illinois, and the lines uf travel only act as
auxiliaries to these forces.
No attemi)t will here be made to even ajjproximate the
amount of wealth which has come to the state or grown up in
its midst through the introduction of railroads. This lias
been shared by the land owners and the railroad comj)anies.
The laws of the state have regulated tlie prices f jr carrying
passengers on the railroads, and made some general restric-
tions as to the charges on freight, but a higher law than man
can make has set limits to freight charges in the lakes and
rivers that inviron the state. Added to these, the Illinois and
Michigan canal, and the Hennepin canal when finished, will
set at defiance any iiLtempt on the part of the railroad com-
panies to demand unjust charges should they be unwise enough
to pursue such a suicidal policy.
That the present financial coadition of Illinois is one of
unexampled prosperity must be apparent to every observer.
The state is free of debt, and agriculture, the great interest of
the state, is carried on by perfected machinery with surer
rewards than ordin;iry mercantile investments in large cities,
and the farmer stands as high in the social scale as the legis-
lator or the professional citizen, nor is any class excluded from
his society if clothed with the dignity <jf courtesy and intel-
ligence, and to abate these terms as requisite to good standing
in society would be dangerous to the welfare of the rising
generation.
KOKT DKAKllORN BUILT. 89
CHAPTER IX.
(I1ILA(;().
The city of Chica<iro and its immediate environs contains
al)out oiie-littli of the po])uhition of the wliole state. It rep-
resents tlie interests not onlv of the entire state, l)ut to a cer-
tain extent those of the nortiier portions of the United States
which are hroxiiji;ht into commercial rehitions witli her, and
also the interest of the entire valley of the ]\lississi])pi, and
Texas to a similar extent. Her name is older than her history.
It was probably first applied to the place as the " Chica<:<»n
portage." There was but little attraction to bring the native
population here to take up more than a transient residence, con-
sequently it never became the se;it of a large Indian village.
In 1S03, shortly after the purchase of Louisiana, the United
States government formed the design of building a fort on the
shores of Lake Michigan, and sent commissioners to select a
site for the ])urpose. They selected the mouth of the St.
Joseph river for the locality of it, but the Ottawas and Chip-
pewas refused them the ground, and they next proceeded to
the Chicago river, on the opposite side of the lake. Six miles
square of land at the mouth of this river had been ceded to
the United States by the Indians at the treaty of Greenville
in 1 71)5, and on this spot the fort was built. It was finished
in 1804 and named P^'ort Dearbcn.
During the war of 1812 it was evacuated by its garrison on
the 15th of May. A slaughter of the troops immeuiately
ensued ere they had retreated more than two miles on their
way to Fort Wayne, their point of destination.*
*See Wabun.
90 CHICAttO CIlAUt'KKKl).
The fort was rebuilt in ISlfi, <and Chieafj^o ha« ever since
tliiit time l>een a ])erinaneiit resideiit-e af Aiuerican ])ioMeers
and settlers. The next year, ISIT, Messrs. ('onaiit and Mack,
fur traders at Detroit, estal>li>hed a brancli at ('hicair<> under
tlie superintendence of Jolin Crafts.*
Soon after this the American Fur Coinpany huui^lit nut the
estahlisliment, and einj)loyed Mr. (drafts in their service. This
waa the pioneer business house (»f Chicago, and its trade was
Indian bhinkets and trinkets in e.xclianije for furs.
Tlie Pottowattoniies were then the all-prevailing power in
Northern Illinois, there being no wliite settlers in the state
nortli uf Peoria except at Ciiicago. Fort Dearborn was alwavs
well garrisoned, and ever kept in readiness for an Indian out-
break should such a calamity occur.
In 1821 Chicago and its environs were surveyed in govern-
ment sections. -j- In 1820 Chicago was surveyed and platted
into village lots, and a map of the town engraved in St. Louis
the next year and published. August 10th, 1833, Chicago
was incorporated as a village, and March 4th, 1837, was char
tered as a city. Since that time tiie growth of the city has
been more rapid than that of any other city in America, and,
as far as known, than any other in the world. It now ranks
as the third city in the United States in ])opulation, and sus-
tains al)out the same i'rade as to business. The jjreat modern
event in its history is its lire of 1871, a description of which,
by request, Mr. C. C. P. Ilolden, the president of the common
council at the time of the fire, has kindly furnished the writer,
as follows:
Rufus Bhinclmrd, Wheaton, Illinois:
Deau Sik. — In iicconlancc with your request, I >ubmit lu-rcwitli a state-
ment eoiiipiled from such data as I consider nearly relial)le touebiny the
losses of both personal and real (buildings) estate destroyed by the i^reat
fire of October 8lh and 9ih, 1871.
*This information is obtained from Gunlon S. Hubbard, wlio came to
C'hicapo the next year, and still lives at the place.
f Copies of these surveys are preserved at llaudy &, C'o.'s. Chic igo.
TIIK CKKAT FIRE. 91
'riie fire destroye<l the very heurt of our city, tukini^ in its penenil coiirHC
all government, state, founty, aiitl a large portion of the nmnicipal biiild-
inirs. Ill its ilcvastatiiig route it swept over "J.'JOO acres of soil, burning to
destruction l."i,T<iK huildiiigs, lT."i niamifaclnring establisiiincnts, 1:.M niiles
of stone and other sidewalks, iind 7H miles of streets were embraced in the
limits of the vast contlagration.
To enumerate till' jjroperty destroyed by the tire would he an impossi-
bility, hut a tol' rably close approximation of the losses can he furnished,
and herewith I give you a statement as nearh' <orrect as long research can
make it.
The United Hiates government lost all its buildings, iiiciuding the cus-
tom house, and $'i.l;iO,l»0<) in money. The city lost, in round niimhers.
more than $:5,ii(»(),(M)0 ; the county also, lost he.avily. Then there were the
losses of the great trunk line railways, thi' chamber of commerce and the
board of trade, warehouses and elevators, hanking corporations and pri-
vate hankers and brokers, insurance corporations, newspap»'r offices and
effects, hotels and restaurants, opera houses, theatres and other places of
amusement, churches, schools and otluT jilaces of learning, the manufac-
tories of all kinds, the vast shipping interest, including vessels, t'anal
boats, tugs and dredges, tlour, grain and provisions, the brewers, distillers
and dealers in wines and li(iuors, husir.ess blocks, stores and dwellings, dry
goods, groceries, hardware, iron safes and other metals, coal and wood,
clothing, drugs, hats, caps and furs, books, stationery and paper stock,
boots and shoes, furniture and bedding, pianos, organs and other nuisieal
insiruments and music, millinery, jewelry, leather and harness material,
tailors' supplies, paints and oils, livery and livery stock, libraries and paint-
ings, and artist supplies, and all other kinds of business not herein eiui-
merated— a total of $187,927,000, made up as follows, to wit:
l.'),768 buildings (and in this number were the business blocks,
custom house, court house, city hall, newspaper offices, rail-
road stations, depots and offices, hotels, churches, opera
houses and theatres), and dwellings $49,239,000
llousehohl goods, silverware, etc 31,536.000
Personal effects, including jewelry and money 19,840,000
Flour, grain and provisions 5,202.000
Wholesale and retail business 46,645,000
Maiuifacturers and shipping ... 14,055,000
All other interest not herein enumerated, city losses ontside of
city hall, public libraries, records, and miscellaneous of every
description 21,350,000
Grand total $187,927,000
Thus it will be seen that the total losses by the great fire of 1871 were
$187,927,000. The total valuation of taxable property in the city of Chi-
cago, as assessed for the municipal year, 1871, was $289,746,470. The
assessment was made for that year on the basis of 50 per cent, of the true
valuation of the property thus assessed. Hence the real value of all taxable
92 THE GREAT FIRE.
property in the city for that year was |579,492,940, and thus was wiped
out of Chicafro's real wealth a little more than ifl per cent, of the same,
which would be 185,487.740, leavini,^ a niaruin nf loss over and above this
amount of $2,489,^360. These great losses bj' fire, the like of whirh were
never heard of before in this or any other country durintr the world's his-
tory, were partially met by 201 insurance companies, which companies had
at risk in the burnt district the sum of $100,225,780, of which amount they
paid, according lo approximation, the sum of $50,178,925, leaving a net
loss to the burned ou! property owners of $137,748,075. Sixty-eight
insurance companies, with assets of $24,8f!7,109, were compelled to go into
liquidation through losses sustained by the fire. Among the products of
our soil, and which are enumerated in the above item as destroj'ed, maybe
mentioned 15,000 barrels of flour, 4,000 tierces of lard, 1,500,000 lbs. cut
meats, G,000 barrels of pf)rk, 2,400 tons broom corn. Finally, it is safe to
say that on that fatal daj' in the history of Chicago fully one third of all
her real wealth was destroyed by the conflagration. Not only lliis, but
there were rendered homeless by that terrible calamitj' more than 94,000
souls, but sadder still is the fact, never to be forgotten, that 300 human
lives were sacrificed to the flames of that ever to be remembered day.
Most respectfully,
CHARLES C. P. HOLDEX.
Chicago, Illinois, April 24th, 1883.
The total of contributions that promptly came to Chicago
for the relief of the sufferers was $4,820,148.16. Of this
amount $973,897.80 was from foreign countries. The re-
building of the burnt district was a wonder of no less ma<;-
nitude than the fire itself. The btisiness portion of the city
now presents nc: only the appearance of newness, but the
buildings are of tlte most approved pattern of architecture
and convenience. By the census of 1880 her population was
503,304, since which time there is evidence of increase in
numbers in an equal ratio of that whicli has marked her
growth since she was a village of two or three hundred per-
sons in 1832.
INDIAN NAMES IN ILLINOIS 93
CHAPTER X.
INDIAN NAxMES IN ILLINOIS.
BY E. M. HAIXES.
Algonquin.— A town in Illinois. The name of one of the
principal <,rroups of North American Indians, given to them
by the French. Its meaning is in some doubt. It is derived
from the Algonquin language, and is said to mean people of
the other side, or op>posite shore.
AsiiKUM. — Alg. — A town in Illinois; 7nore and more. Thus
AshkiLin-ahkoose, lie is getting worse (more sick). Ashkum
Wahishhih, it is getting whiter.
Appanoose.— .1/^.— A town in Illinois. Kame of an Indian
chief of tlie Fox tribe. The grandchild.
Cayuga {Gwe u-gweK)—Irq.—X town in Illinois, Mucky-
land; from a tribe of Indians in New York of the Iroquois
nation; they were called Gwe-u-gweh-o-no, "People of the
Mucky land."
CiiEBANSE.— ^1,Y/._A town ill Illinois; Little Duck, from
an Indian chief of that name.
CuEMUNG.— /r^. — A town in Illinois; from a river of that
name in Xew York, signifying hig horn, so named by the In-
dians from finding in the bed of the river a fossil elephant's
tusk.
Chicago.— Tlie word Chicago is understood to bean Indian
word; at least it is derived from that source. What its i)re-
cise meaning is, or whether it has any particular meaning at
all in its present form as now applied, is a matter of consid-
era])le dispute among those who have given the subject atten-
94 INDIAN NAMES IN ILLINOIS.
tion. The word comes to us through the early Frencli ex-
plorers of the west as an Indian word, from the language of
the Algonquin group. Whilst this group of the No: di
American tribes had one general or generic language by which
they were distinguished, each tribe had its dialect, differ-
ing more or less from that of tJie other tribes of the same
group. The standard or parent language, however, since this
people became known to the whites, was that spoken by the
Ojibways (Chippeways), the most powerful and numerous of
the various tribes of this group. Those who pretend to make,
any positive assertion as to the correct meaniiig of this word
as an Indian word, seem to have confined their investigations
on the subject to the Indian language as spoken by the Ojib-
ways, without reference to other dialects, seeming to ignore
the fact that it could come from any other source, M'hereupon
they reach the conclusion, and so assert, that it means o?iioti,
garlic, leek, or skunk . So far as appears at this day, there
seems to have been no special inquiry into the origin or mean-
inor of this word until about the time of the rebuilding" of
Fort Dearborn in 1816. The year following that event Colonel
Samuel A. Starrow visited this place, and in a letter to Gen-
eral Jacob Brown, of the United States army, refers to the
river here as '• the River Chicago (or in the English — wild
onion river)." Mr, Schoolcraft, the Indian historian, in his
" ^Narrative of an Expedition to the Sources of the Mississippi
River in 1820," in giving an account of visiting Chicago on
the return of said expedition, speaking of the Chicago river,
says: " Its banks consist of a black arenaceous fertile soil,
which is stated to produce abundantly, in its season, the wild
species of cepa or leek. This circumstance has led the natives to
name it the place of the wild leek. Such is the origin of the term
Chicago, which is a derivative by elision and French annotation
from the work cM-kauy-ong. Kaug is the Algonquin name
for the hystrix or porcupine. It takes the prefix, clii, when
applied to the mustelaputorius (pole-cat). The particle, chif
INDIAN NAMES IN ILLINOIS. 05
is tlie comirioii prefix of nouns to denote greatness in any
natural object, but it is employed as liero to mean the increase
or excess, as acridness or pungency in quality. The penulti-
mate omj denotes locality. The putorious is so named from
this plant." Bishop Baraga, in an appendix to his Ojibway
dictionary, says the Avord Chicago is a word in the Cree
dialect, a tribe of the Algonquin group called also Knistenos.
" From Chiea<j or Sil'ag^ a skunk, a kind of wildcat,
which, at the local term, makes Ohlcagokr In his dictionary
mentioned he defines an onion in the Oiibway dialect as
^kitchijigagmanj (French orthography], English orthogra])hy,
Jilt-che-zhi(j-a-gariL-amh. The definition of onion by Itev.
Edward F. Wilson in his dictionary of the Ojibway language
is keche-she-gaiKj-uh-wunzh. He defiries skunk as z/ie gamj.
John Tanner, for thirty years a captive among the Ojibways,
and man}' years United States Indian interpreter, in a "■ Cata-
logue of Plants and Animals found in the country of the
Ojibways, with English names," appended to the narrarive of
his captivity, defines skunk as she-gahg. He defines onion as
she-gau-ga-w'inzhc (skunk-weed). In a note therto by Dr.
James, editor of Tanner's narrati\e, it is added: " From xhUi-
gau-ga-winzJie, this word in the singular number, some derive
the name Chicago^ The Indians it seems, at least the Ojib-
ways, called the onion, garli<\ and other weeds of like odor
by a name which signified skunk-weed, and in the Ojibway
language the words used so express it. It is noticed that all
who contend that the word Chicago, as a])plied to the river and
city of that name, means skunk, onion or the like, derive their
convictions on the subject from one or more of the authorities
which are before cited, or from some one familiar with the
Ojibway language, who forms his convictions to the same
efiect from the mere coincidence of sounds. History is so
uiKsatisfactory and varied in regard to this word, that we are
left at this day to determine its meaning solely upon the bisis
of similarity of sounds. For there seems to be no fact or
96 INDIAN NAMES IN ILLINOIS.
incident narrated or mentioned in liistory that leads with any
degree of certainty eitlier to the original meaning of this
word as intended, or to the dialect from which it is derived.
And it is to be confessed that upon the theory aforesaid, con-
ceding that the word comes from the Ojihway language or
dialect, no one is ])repared to dispute the assertion so gener-
ally made that the word is derived from sku/ik. The W(jrd
sl:unA-he'n\g in the Indian tongue sim])ly s/ie-hiug. In order
to make C/n-ca(/-o, the theory adopted is tluxt on(/, an OjiKway
local termination is added, which makes Chi-cjKj-ong^ meaning
at the sl'unl; the sound of ng being dro])ped in common
speech, leaving the word in the form now used. Whilst this
is not inconsistent in practice in dealing with Indian names,
there is another theory, it is suggested, which may be adopted
in this connection that would seem to be equally consistent.
The word C/n-ca-go, without adding jkj, would be a fairOjib-
way expression. The sound of o added would denote the
genitive, and might be rendered thus, /lim of the sl'unk, in
which case it would probably be the name of an individual,
and it is stated that this word is the name not only of some
one Indian chief, but the name also of a line of chiefs during
several generations. It is to be remarked, however, that there
are some facts in history in regard to this word not in har-
mony with tlie definition generally contended for, as before
stated. The word is first mentioned in early Mestern history
by Ilennejnn, in liis account of La Salle's expedition which
he accompanied, chapter 34 (London edition, 1099), the head-
ing of which is as follows: " An account of the building of a
new fort on the river of the Illinois, named by the savages
C lie-can -gon^ and by us Fori Crevecoeur.'''' This was in Janu-
ary, 1680. This fort was at or near the place where Peoria
in this state now stands. Wq must believe that the Indian
word mentioned, given by the savages as their name for this
fort, could not in this connection mean skunk nor skunk-
weed. The definition of the French word mentioned would
INDIAN NAMES IN ILLINOIS. 07
mean "broken heart.'' Hennepin remarks that the many dif-
ficulties thev labored under had almost broken their hearts.
May we not therefore suppose that the Indian word thus ap-
plied was intended to be of similar import? The name t'J>e-
ka-gou thereafter appears on a map by Franquelin in 1684,
applied to a rivor putting into the Des Plaines from the east
at a point just above the Kankakee river, while at the head of
Lake Michigan on this map is the work Checago umeinan.
At a latter date what is now called the Desplaines river was
called by the early French explorers the river Chekagou. This
word as a local name did not, as would appear, reach the river
at present so named, nor the point where Chicago now is, until
at least thirty years after the time of Hennepin, as before
mentioned, and of the circumstances under which this word
was lastly so applied, from what dialect it came, or what its
intended meaning was, if any, in its changed application, no
accoui;t whatever is transmitted to us. The most that can be
said of the word with any degree of certainty is that it is of
Indian origin, and comes from some dialect of the Algoncpiin
group, so called. It must be noted, however, that in the Ojib-
way dialect this word, or that which is essentially the same, is
not confined in its meaning to that contended for, as before
mentioned. The word may mean also in that language to
forbear, or avoid, from kah-go, forhear, and che, a prefix an-
swering to our preposition to, or it may mean something great,
from ka-go, something, and cM, from glt-ehe, great. Besides
several other words or expressions which may be found in this
dialect of the same sound, yet of different meanings, Che-ca-
gua was the name of a noted Sac chief, and means, in that
dialect, he that stands by the tree In the Pottawattomie dia-
lect the word ehoe-ca-go, without addition or abridgement,
means destitute. Now, if this word was applied to the river
which at present bears this name from the local circumstance
as claimed, that of the abundance of skunk-weed upon its
banks, it would seem to follow that it must have been so given
7
(•^ INDIAN NAMES IN ILLINOIS.
by the tribe who then inhabited or dwelt in the vicinity. At
tlie time tliis word lirst appeared in this locality, the country
about was inhabited, we are informed, by tlie tribe of Mianiis
in whose dialect the word for skunk or pole-eat was se-kaw-
kicaw. The Miamis, it seems, were succeeded by the Potta-
wattomies. We liave no account from any source that the
()j lb way nation, from whose dialect the attempt is made to
define the meaning of this w^ord, ever inhabited this part of
the country. Mr. Hurlbut, in his l)ook of Chicago Antiqui-
ties, refers to an article in Potter's ximerican Monthly^
wherein it is stated that in early days this i)lace w'as called
" Tuck Chicago," and in which it is said that ^^Tuck \\\ the
Indian dialect means wood or timber f* that the word Chicago
means '-ujone, ahsent^ or without f that the words Tuck Chicago
signified the \vaste prairie, or, literally translated, wood gone.
The Indian dialect referred to, it is understood, has reference
to that of the Pottawattomies. It is true that there was
originally considerable tree growth along the river, particu-
larly on the north side, at what we now call Chicago, but it
was in the main a naked prairie, which would make the name
"Tuck Chicago " (wood gone) in the Pottawattomie dialect
worthy of consideration among the various other speculations
cited from their respective authorities. It will be observed
that each of the theories adduced in this article has its author-
ity, and from them all the antiquarian may form his opinion
as to the origin of the name of the city in question.
Gkneseo (Gen-iiis-he-yo) — Irq. — A town in Illinois. Beau-
tiful Valley. The name of a river in New York, so iiained
by the Iroquois from the beautiful valley this river passes
through.
Iroquois. — The name of a river and county in Illinois.
The word is derived from the name ^ given by the French
to the Five Nations of Indians about Lake Ontario. The
first negotiations of the French in settling the country along
the River St. Lawrence were with the natives in the vicinity
INDIAN NAMES IN ILLINOIS. 99
known as the Five Nations and the Hurons or Wyan-
dottes, so called, all speaking the same <;eaeric language.
It was noticed that these tribes in thei.' councils always
closed their speeches with the word or exclamation '' Hiro!"
like dixi of the Latin. They also nsed on public or other
occasions, when circumstances seemed to demand it, an ex-
clamation or word, '• Konai," as an expression of warning,
something in the sense we would nse the word "Beware!"
The frequent use of these words or exclamations, from the cir-
cumstances attending, seemed to have attracted the s})ecial
attention of the French, so thac in speaking of them, cr in
giving them a dpsigiiution, they spoke of them as the Iliro-
Kouai., or, in the French orthography, Uiro-Quois, which in
time passed into the present word, h'oquois^ by simply drop-
ping the sound of II in common speech.
Illinois. — From the Algonquin word inini, or illini, "man,"
and French adjective termination ois. The French substituted
Z for n. From tradition, it was intended to mean or have ref-
erence to a 2)erfect man, as distinguished fr(»m the Iroquois
nation, who were considered by the western tribes as beasts.
Marquette, in descending the Mississippi, touched on the west
bank of that river at a place near the mouth of the Des
Moines, where he found marks of inhabitants, which he pur-
sued westward a few miles, when he arrived at an Indian village,
whyre he was received withdemonstrationsof great friendship.
He communicated wnth the inhabitants, it would appear, in the
Algonquin language, but as their dialect differed from that of
any of the tribes lie had before met with, he asked the chief
who received him who thev were. He answered in the Ai-
gonquin language, '• We are men,''''' as distinguished from the
Iroquois, whom they looked upon as beasts in consequence of
their cruel conduct in their invasions upon the western tribes.
Hence the term Inini, " man,'" or as the French rendered it,
Illini. Thereafter the tribes of this vicinity became known
among the French as Illinese or Illinois.
\ n.vei
loo INDIAN NAMKS IX U-LINOLS.
Kkwanek. — Al(j.—~X town in Illinois. Prairie hen.
Kk^kapoo. — Ahj. — A town in Illinois. The name of one
of the Algonqnin tribes of the west, jestingly applied bj
others of the same stock. From Neyik-abos — an otter''s ap-
parition— (jhost of an otter.
KisnwAUKK. — Alg. — A river in Illinois. Place of sycamore
trees.
Moocasin. — Alg. — A town in Illinois. A shoe.
Manito. — Alg. — A town in Illinois, ^nirit. By the early
French travelers, Manitou.
Mascoutah. — Alg. — A town in Illinois. From mascoda.,
*' prairie."
Moaweqfa. — Alg. — A town in Illinois. Weeping vmnian;
she that weeps.
MoKENA (Mok-e-wa) — Alg. — A town in Illinois. Turtle.
Neoga. — Irg. — A town in Illinois. Place (fthe Great Spirit.
NoKOMis. — Alg. — A town in Illinois. Grandmother.
^UNDA. — h'q. — A towni in Illinois. Hills.
Osage. — Alg. — A town in Illinois. Miami dialect. The
Neutral. The name of a tribe of Indians.
Oquaka. — Alg. — Sac dialect. A town in Illinois. Yellowearth.
Oswego {0-Sweh-go) — Irq. — A town in Illinois. Floimng
out. This name was given by the Iroquois to the place at the
mouth of the river, since called by that name, in the state of
New York.
Ottawa. — Alg. — A town in Illinois. Trader. Name of a
triljc of Indians whom the French designated as the traders.
Peotone {Pe-tone) — Alg. — A town in Illinois. Bring —
hring here.
SoMONAUK [Es-sem-in-auk) — Alg. — A town in Illinois.
Paw Paw tree.
ToNicA. — Alg. — A town in Illinois. A place inhabited.
Tuscola. — Apl. — A town in Illinois. A level plain.
AVapella. — Alg.- — A town in Illinois. From an Indian
chief of the Fox tribe. He who is painted white.
INDIAN NAMKS IN ILLINOIS. 1(>I
Wackegan i^Wau-l'ue-fjnii) — Alg. — A town in Illinois. A
house, or y<>rt. The place where this town is situated was
originally called Little Fort. It seems to have been a French
trading p> st of minor iniportanco — probably established about
the year ITli'*, or at some time in the early part of that cen-
tury. The occasion of selecting this point as a jxist seems to
have been two-fold. It was in the vicinitv of excellent hunt-
ing and trapping grounds, especially the hitter, and was found
to be the nearest point of any for reaching the Desplaines
river from Lake Michigan, where in a good stage of water a
short, easy portage could be made o\\. the route to the Illinois
and Mississippi rivers, saving about forty miles of lake coast,
necessary in going by way of Chicago. It was continued as
a French post until probably about ITCO. After the English
succeeded to the country the point became known as 77<e
Little Fort, and the town subsequently built up here took that
name. Judge Blodgett, now of the United States Court, be-
coming a resident of the place, and having a fancy for Indian
names, suggested that the name of Little Fort lie changed by
substituting an Indian name signifying the same thing. The
diminutive of nouns in the Algonquin language is formed by
addinn^ the svllable anse, so tlvat Little Fort in that lanmiaire
would be Wau-l'i-e-ganse,' but for the j^urposes of euphony
the name adopted was Waal'egaii, which would signify simply
Fort or House. Although the pronunciation is not precisely
the same as the Indian word intended, yet it is nearer to that
intended than the eo-called Indian names generally are. The
Indians designated a fort or dwelling of the white man by the
same name. The original dwellings of the whites among them
were buildings for trading posts, built in a style for protection,
and w'ere called foi'ts by the French.
Wauconda. — Dak. — A town in Illinois. The Good Spirit.
AYiNETKA.— ^1/r/.- — 2V town in Illinois. A heautiful j^/ace.
Wyanet. — Ahj. — A town in Illinois. Beautiful.
102 CLASSIFICATION.
CHAPTER XI,
INDLVN TRIBES OF ILLINOIS.
TAKEN FROM HISTORIC NOTES OP THE NORTHWEST
UY II. W. UECKWITH.
The Miamis, Illinois, Winnebagos, Sacs and Foxes, Kicka-
poos, Pottawattoniies, and Shawneese, are the names of the
native tribes wlio have occupied the soil of Illinois within the
historic period of the state.
The Winnebagos were of the Sioux stock; all the others
were of the Algonquin, their language being similar. The
Iroquois were essentially different in thf^^r language as well as
in their public policy, being more aggressive and less suscep-
tible to religious teaching, but perhaps more progressive in
civilization. Between them and the tribes of Illinois there was
from the first an enmity, which became augmented by the
rival interests of the French of Canada and the English colo-
nists along the Hudson river. The Iroquois, who held all the
territory between the Hudson river and Lake Erie, were im-
portant factors in the hands of the English wherewith to
secure the western fur trade, while the French of Canada hiid
advanced up the lakes to secure not only the fur trade, but the
country itself as a province of France.
The Sioux or Dakotas west of the Mississippi were an-
other classification of tribes, and may be set down as the most
heroic of all, they never having been conquered on the field of
battle by either other native tribes or even by the armies of
the United States, as the fate of Custer's army in 1879 gives
melancholy experience.
ILLI>(UIS TKliJKd.
103
The Illinois Indians were composed of five Rubdivisions:
Kaskaskias, Cahokias, Tamaroas, Peorias and Metchigamis,
the last bein*? a foreign tribe from west of the Mississippi
river, who having been reduced to small numbers by wars with
Mm
lUi ILLINOIS TKIBES.
their nei<^bboro, abandoned their former hunting grounds and
became incorporated Avith tlie Illinois. The first historical
mention of the Illinois is found in the " Jesuit Ilelations for
the year 1670-1," prepared by Father Claude Dablon, from
the letters of priests stationed at LaPointe, Lake Superior,
where the French had a trading post. Says the Father: "The
first who came to the Pointe of the Holy Ghost (meaning the
Mission) for commerce called themselves Illinois." In the
" Jesuit Relations," and in the writings of other French
authors, the name Illinois is variously spelled as '" Illi-mouek,"
'' Ill-i-no-u-es," " Ill-i-ne-wek," " Allini-wek," and " Lin-i-
wek." The terminations oties, wek, ois, and ouek were almost
identical in pronunciation. Lewis Evans, the great geogra-
pher in colonial days, spelled the name Will-i-nis. Major
Thomas Forsyth, for many years trader and Indian agent in
the Illinois Territory, and stationed at the French village of
Peoria, says the " Illinois confederation call themselves Linni-
wek, and by others they were called Min-ne-way." Both Mar-
quette and Hennepin spelled the name Illinois as we do now.
The Illinois confederation claimed the country bounded on
the east by the ridge that divides the waters flowing into the
Illinois from those flowing into the Wabash, between the
headwaters of Saline creek and a point as far north on the
Illinois as the Desplaines, reaching northward to the debatable
ground between themselves, the Winnebagos, the Sacs and
Foxes, and the Kickapoos, and extending westward of the Mis-
sissippi. Their favorite and most populous villages were upon
the Illinois, the Desplaines and the Kankakee, but the Sioux
(Da-ko-ta) pressed them from the west, the Sacs and Foxes
and Kickapoos, confederates, encroached upon their territory
from the north, while war parties of the Iroquois, coming
from the east, rapidly decimated their numbers. These de-
structive raids were doing their fatal work, and the jiower of
the Illinois was waning when the French first came in contact
with them.
ILLINOIS TRIBES. 105
The building of fort St. Louis upon the heiglits of Starved
Hock by La Salle, in lf)82. gave confidence to the Illinois and
their scattered remnants who had again returned to their
favorite village. They were followed ])y bands of Weas, Pi-
an-ke-shas, and Mi-ain-ies, near kinsmen of the Illinois, and
by the Shawnees and other tril)es of remoter affinity, and soon
a cordon of populous towns arose about the fort. The mili-
tary forces of these villages at the colony of La Salle, in IfiS-i,
was estimated at 3,680 fighting men. th>;^ Illinois furnishing
more than one-third of this number. Tlius were the Iroquois
barred, out of the country of the Illinois, who, for a season,
enjoyed a respite from their old enemies. The abandonment
of Fort St. Louis as a military post, in 1702, was followed by
a dispersion of the tribes and fragments of tribes, exce])t at
the lili..jis village, where a straggling }>opulation retained
possession. The Kaskaskias learning, in the year 1700, that
France was making a military establishment and colony near
the mouth of the Mississippi, started thither. They were
intercepted on the way, and persuaded to halt above the mouth
of the Ohio, and soon thereafter made themselves a permanent
home on the banks of a stream which since then has borne
their name, the Kaskaskia.
The Iroquois came no more, having war enough on their
hands nearer home, but the Illinois were constantlv harrassed
by other enemies, the Sacs and Foxes, the Kickapoos, and the
Pottawattomies. Their villages at Starved Rock and at Peoria
Lake were besieged by the Foxes in 1722, and a detachment
of 100 men, commanded by Chevalier d'Artaguiette and
Sieur de Tisne. was sent from Fort Chartres to their assist-
ance. The Foxes having lost more than a liundred of their
men, abandoned the siege before the reinforcements arrived.
'•This success (says Charlevoix, the great French historian)
did not, liowever, prevent the Illinois, although they had lost
<tnly twenty men. with some children, from leaving the Rock
and Pim-i-toey (Peoria Lake), where they were kept in con-
1(K) MIAMIS.
stant alarm, and proceeding to unite witli those of their
brethern (the Kaskaskias) who had settled upon the Missis-
si])pi. Thi.s was a stroke of grace for most of them, the small
number of missionaries preventing their supplying so many
towns scattered far apart; but, on the other side, as there was
nothing to cheek the raids of the Foxes along the Illinois
river, communication between Louisiana and New France
(Canada) became much less practicable."
The next fifteen years show a further decline in their num-
bers. In an enumeration of the Indian tribes connected with
tlie government of Canada, prepared in the year 1736, the
name, location, and number of fighting men of the Illinois
are set down as follows: " Mitchigamias, near Fort Chartres,
25(1; Kaskaskies, six leagues l)elow, 100; Feorias, 50; the
Cahokias and Tamarois, 200 ;" making a total of 600. The
killing of Pontiac, some thirty years later, at Cahokia, whither
he had retired after the failure of his bold efforts to rescue the
country from the British, was laid upon the Illinois, a charge
which, whether true or false, hastened their destruction. In
an ofiicial letter to the secretary of war, of date March 22,
IS 14, General Wm. II. Harrison says: "'When I was first
appointed governor of the Indiana Territory (May, 1800), these
once powerful tribes were reduced to about 30 warriors, of
whom 25 were Kaskaskias, 4 Peorias, and a single Mitchi-
gamian. A furious war between them and the Sacs and Kick-
apoos reduced them to that miserable remnant which had taken
refuge among the white people in the towns of Kaskaskiaand
St. Geniveve." Since 1800, by successive treatie;', they ceded
their lands to the United States, and were removed to reser-
vations lying southwest of Kansas City, where, in 1872, they
had dwindled to 40 persons, men, women and children, all told.
THE MIAMIS.
This tribe formerly lived beyond the Mississippi river,
whence their progress eastwardly was through Wisconsin and
MIAMIS. 107
Illinois, and around the southern extremity of Lake Michi-
gan to Detroit, thence down the Detroit river and up the
Mauniee through Indiana into Ohio. That they ori nally
sprang from the same stock as the Illinois is the or'- i^n of
the early writers on the subject, and General Ilarnso' , '^^en
at his late historic date says: "Although the languag ^ anes
and customs of the Kaskaskias nuike it sufficiently certain
that they derive their origin from the same source with the
Miarais, the connection had been dissolved before the French
had penetrated to the Mississippi.
The Miami confederation was subdivided into four princi-
pal bands, since known under the name of Miamis, Eel-Rivers,
Weas, and Piankeshaws. The Miamis proper have by differ-
ent writers been called " Ou-mi-a-mi," " Ou-mi-am-wek,"
" Mau-mees," '' Au-mi-am-i " (which has been contracted to
" Au-mi " and to " 0-mee "), and " Min-e-am-i." The Weas,
whose name more properly is "> We-we-hah," is called '' 8y-a-
ta-nous," " Oui-at-a-nons,'' and " Ou-i-as " by the French, and
in whose orthography the '' 8y " and " Ou " are equivalent in
sound nearly to the letter of the English W. The British and
colonial officers and traders spelled the word "• Oui-ca-ta-non,"
'' Way-ough-ta-nies," '' Waw-i-ach-tens," and '' We-hahs."
The name Piankeshaws, in early accounts, figure as " Pou-an-
ke-ki-as," " Pe-an-gui-chias,'' " Pi-an-gui-shaws," " Py-an-ke-
shaws," and " Pi-an-qui-shaws." The Miann tribes were
known to the Iroquois of New York as the Twigh-twees, a
name generally used by the British as well as by the Ameri-
can colon ists when referring to any of the Miami tribes.
In the year 1684, at La Salle's colony at Starved Rock, the
Miamis had populous villages, where the Miamis proper
counted 1,300, the Weas 500, and the Piankeshaw band 150.
At a later day, 1718, the Weas had a village " at Chic vgo, but
being afraid of the canoe people (the Chippeways and Potta-
wattomies), left it, and passing around the head of Lake Michi-
gan to be nearer their brethren farther to the east." Father
108
MI AMIS.
Charlevoix, writing from this vicinity, in 1721, says: " Fiftv
years ago the Mianiis (/..<?, tlie Wea Land) were settled on the
southern extremity of Lake Michigan, in a place called CJii-
ca(jo^ from the name of a small rivor whicli runs intotlu' lake,
MA
snowiN
IXDIAX
IN
ILLINOIS
ITV 1765
POTTAWA'fTOMIES. 109
the source of which is not far distant from tliat of the river of
the Illinois (meaning the Desplaines, which is the name by
which it was often called in French authorities)."
The country of the Miamis extended west to the watersned
between the Illinois and Wabash rivers, which separated their
possessions from those of their brethren, the Illinois. On the
north were the Pottawattoniies, who were slowly but persist-
ently pushing their line southward through Wisconsin and
around the west shore of Lake Michigan.
It was only the Piankeshaw band of the Miamis that occu-
pied portions of Illinois subsequent to the dispersion of L.i
Salle's colony about Starved Ttoek. The principal villages of the
latter were upon the Yermilion river and at Vincennes, Ind., and
its environs. Their territory extended eastward to the Ohio
river and westward to the ridije that divides the waters Howinjr
respectively into the Kaskaskia and the Wabash. They were
found by French officers in populous towns upon the Vermilion
as early as 1718; later they pushed the degenerating Illinois
bands to the vicinity of Kaskaskia and neighboring villages,
and hunted and dominated over the territory to the Mississippi,
as high up, nearly, as the mouth of the Illinois.
THE POTTAWATTOMIES.
The first mention of this tribe is in the "Jesuit Relation"
of 1639. They were then reported on the north bank oi
Lake Huron. Twenty-six years later they were reported on
the west bank of Lake Michigan. In 1674 they were at Green
Bay, and assisted Father Marquette on his way from the mis-
sion of St. Francis Xavier at that place to the "Chicagou" port-
age. Subsequently we find them in great force in the vicinity
of Mackinaw, whence they made large portions of Michigan
and also Wisconsin their hunting grounds. Later they took
possession of the country around Chicago, and also the im-
mense plains lying in Illinois west of the Wabash river. It
was during this period that they made the attack on the troops
110
POTTAWATTOMIKS.
who had evacuated Fort Dearborn in 1812, as told in fore-
going pages. They were the hist native tribe to take their
departure from Illinois, lingering around Chicago till 1835, at
which time thev were removed west hv Colonel .J. B. F. Rus-
SACS AND FOXES. Ill
Bell, as per the provisions .>t" a treaty held with them in Chicago
Septeml-^r 26th, 1833. They are now in the Indian Territory,
many of them ])eing wealthy farniers. Their youth are edu-
cated at good schools, and are ambitious to rise in the world.
thj: sacs and foxes.
According to Monette this tribe was early located on the
Detroit river, whence they were driven to Green Bay. From
the latter place they went to the Mississippi ri/er and occu-
pied the territory on both sides o+" it above the mouth of Rock
river soon after the year 1700. In foregoing pages a brief
sketch of their history has been given as a record of the Sauk
war during Governor Reynolds' administration.
THE WINNEBAGOS AND SHAWNEES.
Both of these tribes have occupied small portions of Illi-
nois for a few years. Their history is unimportant in connec-
tion with that of Illinois.
THE KICKAPOOS.
The records of this tribe run back to the first occupation of
the St. Lawrence valley by the French, Champlain having
come in contact with them on the banks of Lake Huron on
his route of discovery. From that early date ever since they
have been an untractable tribe, forming no lasting alliance
with the French like many other tribes. They came to the
Rock river prior to 1718, says Charlevoix, and in 1765 had
occupied the large portions of the state shown on the ma}> of
the Indian tribes of the same date. In 1812 their hunting
grounds had diminished but little in size, but had moved so
as to occupy the extreme southeastern portions of the state.
They ceded all their lands in Illinois to the United States by
a treaty held at Edwardsville in 1819. Many of them had
gone westward soon after the war of 1812, and after this
treaty the remnant left. They are still a brave people, h'lng-
ing about the Mexican border, but greatly reduced in numbers.
112 FRENCH OCCUrATlON.
CHAPTER XII.
SETTLEMENT OF ILLINOIS.
UY .1. GILLESPIE.
It is difficult to draw u distinct line of demarcation between
the ditierent epochs, that is the French, the Pioneer, and the
permanent settler's. They run into each other and become to
a considerable extent blended, still in order to present a record
of the early history of this state, they must be i*egarded as
distinct eras. The object of the settlement of the French here
was two-fold, one was, to extend the theati'e of church opera-
tions, the other was for commercial purposes. The first ad-
venturers were Ecclesit stical dignitaries, and they located
missions wherever they went, Kaskaskia was the centre of
their field in this region. Afterward the government of affairs
was placed under Crozat and the Company of the Indies — to
subserve the commercial purposes. The people who were sent
out were used as auxiliaries to these ends. They were located
in villages to which were attached common fields of several
miles extent, and each settler had his strip or arpent of land for
cultivation which was somewhat like a mathematical line, all
lenfjth and no breadth. The residences of these settlers were
clustered in the village within sound of the church bell or the
violin of the musician. When these communities became over-
crowded a new colony was established similar to the first, and
so on. The control of affairs was entirely in the hands of the
ecclesiastics. All marriages were authorized and solemnized by
them. All entrances into, and exits from this world were
under their peculiar supervision. Conveyances of property
ECCLESIASTICAL RULE. 113
and settlements of controversies, were noted Dy and effected
through their instrumentality. Grants of land and the regu-
lations for their subdivision were ostensibly made by the King
of France. But the real power was in the hands of the priest-
hood, but it seems to have been exercised bv them with scru-
pulous regard to justice and to the satisfaction of the people.
These people through the influence of the church and their
natural amiability were kept on good terms with the Abori-
gines. They had no amibitiou to found an empire, but were
willing to live and die as Frenchmen in the service of their
religious teachers. They had no desire for change. The
country afforded them all they needed in the way of subsist-
ence, and their civil and religious government was all they
desired, but their hearts were in la heUe France. The PVench
colonies were mere municipalities, and they did iiot consider
themselves as Americans, but as Frenchmen residing on this
side of the Atlantic. This was the first stage of European
settlement in the valley of the Mississippi, In 1763, the
French possessions were ceded to England, but at that time no
attempt had been made to establish English settlements on the
great river. During the revolutionary war, the expedition of
Gen. George Rogers Clark was fitted out by Virginia and
succeeded in wresting these French settlements from England.
The conquest of the country, so far as the French people were
concerned, was an easy task. The English military com-
mandants had made tliemselves exceedingly obnoxious, and
any change was looked upon by the people as for the better.
It is true a considerable number of the French crossed the
river into Spanish territory and settled in St. Genevieve, Co-
rondolet and St. Louis. The government of Virginia could
not pay her troops in money and she provided that the soldiers
under Clark should each be entitled to a tract of land in the
conquered country in payment for their services. The country
being rich beyond anything they had ever thought of, most of
them settled here upon their lands, and they were followed by
114 THE AMEUICAX SKTTLKK.
their ac([uaititances who likewise settled in the country. Tlie
troops under Clark, although in the service of Virginia, were
nevertheless gathered up about the Falls of the Ohio where
Louisville ncnv stands, and were composed of Virginians,
Kentuckians, Tennesseans, >Torth and South Carolinians, and
the ])eople who followed them were from those states. These
people differed toto ceolo from the French. They considered
themselves as Americans, and hardly knew that they were de-
scended from English stuck. They were Indian haters and
Indian fighters, and had fewer compunctions of conscience fur
killing an Indian than they would have for killing a wolf.
They were not contented with a narrow strip of land in a
common iield like the Frenchman. Nothing less than a big
farm isolated from neighbors would suit them. They cared
nothing for the protection or company that villages afforded,
each nuin generally depended upon himself and his trusty rifle
for protection. It is true they assembled in squads to pursue
Indian marauders, but generally they lived in solitude, except
their families; they possessed greater individuality than any
people on earth. These American settlers recognized no au-
thority but that of law, and if they were beyond its reach they
made it for the occasion. They had their regulating societies
for punishing law breakers, before whom every offender was
brought and duly charged, and no man was punished without
having an opportunity of being confronted with the witnesses
against him, and presenting his defense, if he had any. Gen-
erally he had a patient hearing and an impartial decision.
These people had no priests like the French to expound the
laws, they were natural ijov^ernment makers. Any one of them
might be called upon to preside over the deliberations of one
of these regulating companies. As soon as government was ex-
tended over them they settled down into law-abiding citizens.
In 1783, Virginia ceded her rights in the northwestern terri-
tory to the United States, stipulating for the preservation of
the rights of the old French inhabitants, and of her soldiers
LAND 'IITLES. 115
iiiKk'r Clark, which the governiiieiit scrupulously carried out
and for the purpose of inviting settlers an act of congress was
passed giving to heads (»f faniili"s, who should settle in the
country and reside a certain length of time, a tract of land.
When the country was surveyed there were three classes of
titles to lands, the location of which was not accurately known
to-wit: the old French claims, then the militarv rin-lits under
the Virginia regime, and lastly head rights under the
act of congress. The government of the United States after
the survey of the lands directed the land officers at Kaskaskia
to take proof and make report as to the location of the above
claims, and they appear as clffltas and surveyf< in our records
as confirmed l)y congress to the settlers or their assignees, and
are principally situated in the counties of Madison, St. Clair,
Monroe, Randolph and Peoria. The early American eui-
grants located generally in the neighborhood of the French
settlements which extended along the river from Kaskaski.i to
Cahokia, and the big mound in Madison. The southern part
of Illinois was first settled by tlie Americans, as the current
set in from the southwestern states. People generally emi-
grate upon the parallel of latitude in which they are raised as
nearly as practicable. The emigration from the slave states
extended about as far north as the latitude of Springfield, the
wealthier going north and the poorer keeping down south.
The Americans I have been speaking of I would class as the
Pioneers, although a large majority of them became perma-
nent settlers. A great many of these people left the south to
get rid of slavery, but many favored the institution and wished
to see it introduced here. The state could not be admitted
into the Union with a constitution repugnant to the ordinance
of 1787, which forever prohibited it in tiie northwestern terri-
tory, but many believed that after the admission the constitu-
tion could be changed and slaverv admitted, and as the settlers
were mostly from the south it was thought a majority would
favor it. In 1823, a terrific effort was made to adopt a slavery
116 ANTI-8LAVEKY ISSUE.
constitution, but it was signally defeated by southern ])eo])le.
Here, in 1823, the <j^reat battle of slavery was fuui^ht and won
by pe<jple from tlie slave states. If Illinois had then enllste 1
under the pro-slavery banner Indiana would have followed suit,
and these two states (or even Illinois) c»n the side of the south
at the breaking out of the rebellion would have made the
result, to say the least of it, doubtful. All honor to the men
who defeated slavery here in 1823. They builded more wisely
than they knew. About 1830 the current of emigration began
to set in from the northern states to northern Illinois. Since
then the history is known to all men, and I need say nothing
about it. I have endeavored to distinguish the ejiochs in the
history of our state into the French, the Pioneer, and the
permanent — three distinct eras especially as to social condi-
tions which may with no impropriety be called the childhood,
the youth, and the manhood of our state.
LiiXilbLATLliES. 117
LEGISLATURES OF ILLINOIS.
First Territorial Legislature, 1812. Convened at Kaskaskia the 25th day
of November, A. I). 1812 ; adjourned the 26th day of December, 1812.
Second session convened and adjourned November 8, A. D. 1813.
Second Territorial Lejrislature, 1814. First session convened at Kaskaskia
the 14th day of November, A. D. 1814 ; adjourned December 24, A D. 1814.
Second Territorial Legislature, 1815. Second session convened pursu-
ant to adjournment the 4th day of December, A. D. 1815 ; adjourned Janu-
ary 11, A. D. 1816.
Third Territorial Legislature, 1816-17. Fir'^t session convened at Kaskas-
kia the 2d day of December, A, D. 1816 ; adjourned Januarj^ 14, A. D. 1817.
Third Territorial Legislature, 1817-18. Second session convened at Kaskas-
kia the 1st day of December, A D. 1817 ; adjourned January 12, A. D. 1818,
First General Assembly, 1818-20. First session convened at Kaski^skia
October 5, 1818 ; adjourned October 13, 1818. Second session convened at
Kaskaskia, -Tanuary 4, 1819 ; adjourned March 31, 1819.
Second General Assembly, 1820-22. Convened at Vandalia December 4,
1820 ; adjourned February 15, 1821.
Third General Assembly, 1822-24. Convened at Vandalia December 2,
1822 ; adjourned February 18, 1823.
Fourth General Assembly, 1824-26. First session convened at Vandalia
November 15, 1824 ; adjourned January 18, 1825. Second session convened
at Vandalia January 2, 1826 ; adjourned January 28, 1826.
Fifth General Assembly, 1826-28. Convened at Vandalia December 4,
1826 ; adjourned February 19, 1827.
Sixth General Assembly, 1828-30. Convened at Vandalia December 1,
1828 ; adjourned January 23, 1829.
Seventh General Assembly, 1830-32. Convened at Vandalia December 6,
1830; adjourned February 16, 1831.
Eighth General Assembly, 1832-34. Convened at Vandalia December 3,
1832 ; adjourned March 2, 1833.
Ninth General Assembly, 1834-36. First session convened at Vandalia
December 1, 1834 ; adjourned February 13, 1835. Second session convened
at Vandalia December 7, 1835 ; adjourned January 18, 1836.
118 LEGISLATURES.
Tenth General Assembly, 1836-38. First session convened at Vandalia
December 5, 1836 ; adjourned March 6, 1837. Second session convened at
Vandalia July 10, 1837 : adjourned July 22, 1837.
Eleventh General Assembly, 1838-40. First session convened at Van-
dalia December 3, 1838 ; adjourned March 4, 1839. Second session con-
vened at Springfield December 9, 1839 ; adjourned February 3, 1840.
Twelfth General Assembly, 1840-42. First session convened at Spring-
field November 23, 1840 ; adjourned December 5, 1840. Second session
convened December 7, 1840 ; adjourned March 1. 1841.
Thirteenth General Assembly, 1848-44. Convened at Springfield Decem-
ber 5, 1842 ; adjourned March 6, 1843.
Fourteenth General Assembly, 1844-46. Convened at Springfield Decem-
ber 2, 1844 ; adjourned March 3, 1845.
Fifteenth General Assembly, 1846-48. Convened at Springfield Decem-
ber 7, 1846 ; adjourned March 1, 1847.
Sixteenth General Assembl}', 1848-50. First session convened at Spring-
field January 1, 1849 ; adjourned February 12, 1849. Second session con-
vened October 22, 1849 ; adjourned November 7, 1849.
Seventeenth General Assembly, 1850-52. First session convened at
Springfield January 6, 1851 ; adjourned February 17, 1851. Second session
convened June 7, 1852 ; adjourned June 23, 1852.
Eighteenth General Assembly, 1852-54. First session convened at Spring-
field January 3, 1853 , adjourned February 14, 1853. Second session con-
vened February 9, 1854 ; adjourned 3Iarch 4, 1854.
Nineteenth General Assembly, 1854-56. Convened at Springfield January
1, 1855 ; adjourned February 15, 1855.
Twentieth General Assembly, 1856-58. Convened at Springfield January
5, 1857 ; adjourned February 19, 1857.
Twenty-first General Assembly, 1858-60. Convened at Springfield Janu-
ary 3, 1859 ; adjourned February 24, 2859
Twenty-second General Assembly, 1860-62. First session convened at
Springfield January 7, 1862 ; adjourned February 22, 1861. Second session
convened April 23, 1861 ; adjourned May 3, 1861.
Twenty-third General Assembly, 1862-64. Convened at Springfield Janu-
ary 5, 1863; adjourned February 14, 1863, till June 2, 1863; prorogued by
the Governor June 10, 2863, until December 31, 1864 ; convened and ad-
journed December 31, 1864.
Twenty-fourth General Assembly, 1864-68. Convened at Springfield
January 2, 1865 ; adjourned February 16, 1865.
Twenty-fifth General Assembly, 1866-68. First session convened at
Springfield January 7, 1867 ; adjourned February 28, 1867. Second session
convened June 11, 1867 ; adjourned June 13, 1867. Third session convened
June 14, 1867 ; adjourned June 28, 1867.
LEGISLATURES . 119
Twenty-sixth General Assembly, 1868-70. Convened at Springfield Janu-
ary 4, 1869 ; adjourned April 20, 1869.
Twenty-seventh General Assembly, 1870-72. First session convened at
Springfield January 4, 1871 ; adjourned April 17, 1871, until November 15,
1871. First special session convened May 24, 1871 ; adjourned June 22,
1871. Second special session convened October 13, 1871 ; adjourned Octo-
ber 24, 1871. Convened in regular adjourned session November 15, 1871 ;
adjourned sine die April 9, 1872.
Twenty-eighth General Assembly, 1873-74. First session convened at
Springfield January 8, 1873; adjourned May 6, 1873, until January 8, 1874.
Convened in adjourned session January 8, 1874 ; adjourned sine die March
31, 1874.
Twenty-ninth General Assembly, 1874-76. Convened at Springfield
January 6, 1875 ; adjourned sine die April 15, 1875.
Thirtieth General J -emblj", 1876-78. Convened at Springfield January
3, 1877 ; adjourned May 24, 1877.
Thirty-first General Assembly, 1878-80. Convened at Springfield January
8, 1879 ; adjourned May 31, 1879.
Thirty-second General Assembly, 1880-82. Regular session convened at
Springfield January 5, 1881 ; adjourned May 30, 1881. Special session con-
vened at Springfield March 23, 1882; adjourned May 9, 1882.
Thirty-third General Assembly, 1882-84. Convened at Springfield Janu-
ary 3, 1833.
TERRITORIAL REPRESENTATIVES.
Shadrach Bond was the first delegate to Congress from the territory, serv-
ing in the Twelfth and Thirteenth Congresses. He took his seat at the
second session of the Twelfth Congress, December 3, 1812, and served until
October 3, 1814, when he was appointed Receiver of Public Moneys. Resi-
dence, Kaskaskia.
Benjamin Stephenson succeeded Bond, and took his seat at the third ses-
sion of the Thirteenth Congress, November 14, 1814, and served during the
third session of the Thirteenth and first session ot the Fourteenth Con-
gresses, when he was also appointed Receiver of Public Moneys April 29,
1816. Residence, Edwardsville
Nathaniel Pope was elected the successor of Benjamin Stephenson, and
entered Congress at the second session of the Fourteenth Congress, Decem-
ber 2, 1816, and served during that session and the first session of the Fif-
teenth Congress — he being the delegate at the time of the admission of the
territory as a state. Residence, Kaskaskia.
120
UNITED STATES SENATORS.
SENATORS.
Name.
Ninian Edwards..,
Jesse B. Thomas.
Ninian Edwards. . .
Jesse B. Thomas .
John McLean
Elias Kent Kane..
John McLean
David J. Baker.
Jchn M. Robinson,
Elias Kent Kane...
JohnM. Robinson. 18.3.5-41.
Wm. L. D. Ewing. . 18:i5-.37.
Rich'd M. Young... ;lK3;-43.
Sam'l McRoberts.. 1841-43.
Term of j
service, i
1818-19....
1818-SJ3....
1810-34....
1823-29. . . .
18','4-2.5....
18i->-31....
1829-30....
Nov. 12 to
Dec. 11, 1830
ia30-3.5...
1831-35...
Sidney Breese
James Semple
Stephen A. Douglas
James Shields
Stephen A. Douglas
Lvman Trumbull.
Stephen A. Douglas
Lyman Trumbull.
Orville H.Browning
Wm. A. Richardson
Richard Yates
Lyman Trumbull..
John A. Logan
Richard J. Oglesby.
David Davis
John A. Logan
ShelbvM. Cullom..
1843^9.
1843-47.
184r-o3.
1K49-55.
lS.'i3-.56.
lS.-).5-61.
1859-61.
1861-67.
1861-63.
1863-65..
1865-71..
1867-73..
1871-77. .
1873-79. .
1877-83..
1879-85..
188.3-89. .
Kaskaskia —
Kaskaskia
Edwardsville..
Edwardsville..
Shawneetown.
Kaskaskia....
Shawneetown.
"Kaskaskia..
Canni
Kaskaskia
Carmi
Vandalia . .
Jonesboro .
Waterloo . .
Carlyle .
Alton . . .
Quincy
Springfield
Chicago
Belleville...
Chicago....
Chicago
Quincy .
Quincy
Jacksonville. .
Chicago
Chicago
Decatur
Bloomington .
Chicago
Springfield . .
Remarks.
His own successor. Resigned 1824.
His own successor.
Vice Edwards, resigned.
To succeed McLeau.
Died , 1830.
Appointed by Gov. Edwards to succeed
McLean.
Elected to succeed McLean.
His own successor. Died December 12,
ia3.5.
His own successor.
Vice Kane, deceased.
To succeed Ewing.
To succeed Robinson. Died March 22,
To succeed Young.
Appointed by Gov. Ford to succeed
Mi^Roberts. deceased.
To succeed Semple.
To succeed Breese.
His own succes.sor.
To succeed Shields.
His own successor. Died June 3,
1861.
His own succf^ssor.
Appointed by Gov. Yates to succeed
Douglas, April 26, 1861.
Elected to succeed Browning for unex-
pired term of Douglas.
To succeed Richardson.
His own successor.
To succeed Yates.
To succeed Trumbull.
To succeed Logan.
To succeed Oglesby.
To succeed Davis.
Each state, whether hirs^e or small, is represented in the United States
Senate by two Senators, to be chosen by the legislature of the states. The
term of a Senator is six years.
NOTES EXPLAINING THE MAP. 121
NOTES EXPLAINING THE MAP.
The route of Marquette and Joliet is a lieavy dotted line
down the Mississippi river and up the Illinois and Desplaines
rivers, thence to the " Chicagou " portage and down the west
shore of Lake Michigan, which was at that time called Lake
Illinois, after the native tribes of the country.
The route of La Salle is a heavy dotted line down the Kan-
kakee, the Illinois and the Mississippi rivers. The Illinois
river was first named the Seignelay river, after the French
colonial minister.
The old Peoria villages at the mouth of the Des Moines
river, Iowa, are connected with the Kaskaskia villages near
the bend of the Illinois river by a trail. This trail was put
on a reprint of Thevenot's map, inserted in Spark's " History
of Marquette " and Joliet's " Discoveries " as the line of their
return, but Parkman claims that it was an error, and it is now
conceded by all historians who have written on the subject
that their return was up the Illinois from its mouth, as shown
on the map herewith. But the route across the country,
though evidently not the one traveled by the discoverers, was
doubtless an old Indian path on a direct line of communica-
tion from the Mississippi to the Chicago portage.
The Kaskaskia and Detroit trail connected the two places
by an overland route soon sifter white settlements had begun
at each. Detroit was settled in 1701 — one year later than
Kaskaskia.
The trail of George Rogers Clark from Fort Massac to
Kaskaskia marks an epoch in American history of transcend-
122 NOTES EXPLAINING THE MAP.
ent import. It passed close by the present site of Marion,
and afterwards became a well-frequented trail b tween Golconda
and Kaskaskia, but its route was improved by Mr. Worthenin
1821, as shown on the map. Clark's route from Kaskaskia to
Yincennes the next year, 1779, followed a path through the
country which had been traveled before most of the way, as a
connecting road between the distant French settlements at
Yincennes, made about 1710, and the French villages of Illi-
nois.
The trails centering at Danville sliow this place to have
been a great metropolis of the natives, especially in the days
of Kickapoo occupation of the country. One of these trails
was made by Gurdon S. Hubbard (a present well-known citi-
zen of Chicago), to facilitate Indian trade. Another was made
by Mr. Beckwith (an early settler at I^anville) for a similar
purpose.
Governor Edwards' rovte from Camp Russell to the vicin-
itv of Peoria was the line of his invasion of the Indian
country in 1812.
The route of Hopkins, leading from Fort Harrison, on the
Wabash, into Livingston county, was also a raid into the In-
dian country at the same date.
General Howard'' s route the next year, 1813, from Camp
Russell up the Mississippi to the present site of Nauvoo,
thence east to the Illinois river, and up its west bank to Peoria
and Gomos village, also shows a track of invasion into the
Indian country.
The Fort Clark and Wahash trail was a well-traveled road
from the settlements of Southern Ohio and Indiana to Fort
Clark in the early day.
The Sauk trail, leading from Rock Island eastwardly
through the state, was the path of the Sauks and Foxes from
their great village on the Mississippi to Maiden, in Canada, to
which place the whole tribe went every year to get their an-
nuities from the English government. Portions of it are still
NOTES EXPLAINING THE MAP 123
visible on the prairies, says Mr. C. C. P. Holden, of Chi-
cago, who lias assisted the author in locating it.
James Watson WebVs line of travel from Fort Dearborn,
in 1822, to La Sallier's trading post, thence to the Mississippi'
and down it to Fort Armstrong on Kock Island, is a monu-
ment of the courage and hardihood of this young man, who
was then an officer in Fort Dearborn. He made this trip
alone, in the dead of winter, to warn the garrison against an
Indian surprise, and this saved the fort. On his return, as a
prudential measure, he took a more southern route, as shown
in the map.*
Kellogg' s trail shows the first overland route from Peoria
to Galena. It was made by Mr. Kellogg, an old pioneer
settler, in 1825, and subsequently became a well-known route.
BUich Hawk's advance is a dotted line up Eock river,
which terminated in the Black Hawk war of 1832.
Seotfs army trail from Fort Dearborn to the Winnebago
village where Rock river crosses the Wisconsin line, thence
down the river to Eock Island, was the route of his army who
came to Illinois to defend the settlers from the hostile Sauks,
of whom Black Hawk was chief
The foregoing trails show the first known lines of travel in
the state. The early roads made by the settler are shown by
two parallel lines connecting the chief towns of the early day.
The early points settled are located and dotted, making no
further explanation necessary.
The Tablet of Illinois History begins in a decade, the
first part of which was pre-historic as to Illinois. The
Tablet runs through the last part of the seventeenth cen-
tury, through the eighteenth entire, and as far as time has
advanced in the nineteenth, showing a chronological cliain
of events in and allied to Illinois history subdivided into
decades.
*Mr. Webb is still living in New York, and it is from his own letters to
me writer that the above facts have been obtained.
-^^^ NOTES EXPLAINING THE MAP.
The progress of settlements in Illinois is shown in a small
map m the margin, by summarizingperiods of time respecting
the settlement of various localities in the state.
The Book is a detail of not only the historical illustrations
of the maps, but a detail of what grew out of the events thus
localized and dated. The two together are designed to brin^
geography and chronology to the support of history
INDEX.
125
INDEX.
Anti-Slavery Issue 59-115-116
Alexander, Gen. Milton K 65
Alsjjonquin, meaning of name. . . 93
Aloiiez Claude 27
Appanoose, meaning of the name. 93
Ashkum, meaning of the name. . 93
Atkinson General 65
Attorney General, duties of 80
Aranda," Count de 44
Auditor of State, duties of 80
Beveridge, John L., Governor. . 74
Birney, James G 68
Bissell, Wm. H., elected Gov-
ernor 71
Black Hawk defeats Taylor 56
Leaves Lis Village 61
Returns to Illinois 61
Defeats Stillman 63
Attacks Apple River 64
Is Defeated at Bad Ax 65
Sent to Fortress Monroe 66
Restored to his Tribe 66
Black Partridge saves Mrs. Helm 53
Bond Shadrach settles in Illinois 45
First Governor . . 57
Boundary line between French
and English 30
Brady, General 65
British withdraw from the Lake
Country 56
Cahokia 27
Taken by Clark 41
Carlin, Thomas, elected Gov-
ernor 67
Camp Russell 55
Casey, Zadoc 60-66
Cartier, Jacques 10
Cayuga, meaning of the name. . . 93
Cliebanse. meaning of the name.. 93
Chartres Fort built 28
Seat of English Government . 36
Chemung, meaning of the name. . 93
Chicago surveyed 90
Chartered as a City 90
Great Fire vJ 90
Meaning of tlie name 93
(See Dearborn Ft. for early history. )
City Officers S'i
Champlin, Samuel de *. 11
Clark Fort built 55
Clark, George R., takes Kas-
kaskia 39
Advances on Vincennes 42
His route in Ilhnois 121
Coles, Edward» elected Governor 58
His etforts to make Illinois a
Free State 59
Commercial rivalry between
French and English 33
Commerce of Illinois 84
Constitution of Illinois formed. . 57
Constitutional Conventions. . .70-73
Convention and adjournment of
Legislatures 117
Continental Congress 38
Crogan,Geo. ...^ 33
Taken prisoner 34
Reports to Sir Wm. Johnson. . 35
County Officers 82
Cnmmings, Colonel 65
Craig, Captain, takes Peoria 54
Cullom. Shelby M., elected Gov-
ernor 74
Danville — Trails centering at. . .122
Dearborn Fort built 89
Massacre at 89
Rebuilt 90
Detroit besieged by Pontiac 31
General Hull sent to 51
Dongan, Governor of New York. 25
Duncan, Joseph, elected Gov-
ernor of Illinois 66
Dunmore, Lrrd 37
Douglas, Stephen A 71
Earthquake of 1811 94
126
INDEX.
Edwards. Ninian, Governor of
Illinois Territory 48-59
Invades the Indian coutttry. . . 54
Elected Governor of the State. 59
His route of invasion 122
Edwardsville 53
En -^lish Colonies 29
Ens^lish Indian Assents 38
English posssssion of Illinois. . . 31
Elections 76
Emigration first to Illinois 115
Executive Department 78
How constituted 79
Duties of 79
Ewing, L. D., Governor 66
Fort Clark and Wabash trail 122
Frazier, Major 33
Becomes Governor of Illinois. 35
French and Indian war 30
French, Augustus C, elected
Governor - 70
French Missionaries 11
Frontenac, Governor of Canada. 11
Five Nations. (See Iroquois.)
Ford, Thomas, elected Governor. 68
Forsythe redeems Indian captives 53
Fort Creve Cceur 20
Fur trade 25
Gage, Fort B9
Gage, General, his proclamation 35
Gaines, General 61
General Assembly of Illinois 77
Geneseo, meaning of its name. . 98
Ghent, Negotiations at 56
Gibault. M 40
Gomas Village destroyed 59
Government, Powers of 76
Governor Clark takes Prairie du
Chien 56
Governor, Duties of 79
Gravier, .Tames 27
Green Bay, Mission at 12
Griffin, the 1^
Hamilton, Henry surrenders Vin-
cennes to Clark 43
Hamilton, John M., Governor. . . 75
Harrison, Wm. Henry, Governor
of Indiana Territory 47
Appointed to the command of
th<' Northwest 53
Helm, Captain 41-42
Helm, Mrs., at the Chicago Mas-
sacre 53
Henry. James D 65
Hopkins, Gen., marches against
the Indians 53
Howard, General, his route of
invasion 122
Hull, General, sent io Detroit. .. 51
Sends orders to Fort Dearborn 53
Illinois, Settlement of 45-112
Il.inois Territory organized 48
Illinois, meaning of its name.... 99
Illinois admitted in the Union. . . 57
Illinois and Michigan Canal 68
Illinois Tribes 13
Illinois Tribes, their history 103
Immaculate Conception, mis-
sion of 16-27
Indian Department of Illinois.. 38
Indian Names of Illinois 93
Indiana Territory 47
Institutions, charitable, penal,
etc., enumerated 74
Iroquois Tribes 21-25
Iroquoi.s, Derivation of the
name 98
Jamestown 9
Johnson, Sir William 33
Joliet (See Marquette.)
Judicial Department 81
Kaskaskia 14-27-39-40-44
Kaskaskia under English rule. . . 1 12
Kaskaskia and Detroit trail 121
Kellogg's trail 123
Kewanee, meaning of its name. .100
Keokuk 60
Kickapoos, their history Ill
Kickapoo, meaning of the name. . 100
Kishwaukee, meaning of the
name 100
Kidd, Robert 45
La Barre, Governor of Canada. . 25
La Fayette in Illinois 59
Land ih\e^, French 115
La Salle, his route of discoverv. .121
(See Griffin.)
Legislative Department 76
Powers and duties of 77
Restriction of 78
Lieutenant Governor, duties of . . 79
Lincoln, Abraham 71
Death of 73
Loftus, Major _. .. . 32
Louisiana purchased by Spain. . 84
Manito, meaning of the name. . .100
Map of native trib s, 1684 103
Map of native tribes, 1765 108
Map of native tribes, 1812 110
INDEX.
127
Massac Fort -^9
Massacrt! at (Uiicaj^o 53
MarqiK'ttu iuulj oliet discover the
Mississippi 1;
Discover Cliicago !•)
Marquette winters at Chicairo. . . 1(5
Founds mission oil the Illinois. IG
His dea h • !«
Discovery of his remains 18
Marquette and Joliet's route I'-l
Mascoutah meanintrof thename. 100
Matteson, Joel A., elected Gov- ^
ernor "0
Menard, Pierre 37
Miamis, their history 106
Michigan Territory 48
Mexican War 69
Moawequa, meaning of the
name 1>^
Mokena, meaning of the name. .100
Moore, John 68
Morgan. Oolonel Geo 38
Mississippi river made western
boundary 44
Its navigation closed by Spain. 85
Moccasin, meaning of the name. . 100
Montbrun, Timothy 45
Mormons, the 69
Native Tribes classiffed 102
Neoga, meaning of the name. . .100
N w Design settlement 45
Nokomis, meaning of the name. .100
Northern C oss Railroad 68
Nunda, meaning of the name.. .100
Oglesb}', Kichard J. , elected Gov-
ernor 73
Ohio Company 29
Oquaka, meaning of the name.. .100
Osage, meaning of the name.. . .100
Oswego, meaning of its name. . .100
Ottawa, derivation of its name . . . 100
Palmer, John M., elected Gov-
ernor 78
Peace of Paris 43
Peoria taken by Craig 55
Pootone, meaning of the name. .100
Perry, Comiiiodore 56
Pinet, Francis 27
Pioneers, American 114
Pittsburg 29
Pontiac 31-32-34
Portage at Chicago 19
Portage at St. Joseph 20
Pope, Nathaniel 57
Pottawattomics, their history. ..109
Posey. Alexanilcr 65
Public Land Surveys 46
Quebec Bill 36-44
Railroads, pioneer 86
Renault, Philip Francis 58
Representatives, Territorial 119
Reynohls, John, electeddovernor 67
Rocheblave, Governor 30
Rogers, John 42
Roijrers, >iajor Robert 30
Ru<sell, Colonel 53
Rutherford, Larkin 45
Sacs and Foxes, tlieir historv. . . .111
Sackville, Fort 43
Sauk trail 122
Schools, law for supi)ort of 71
Scott, General Winfield 63-66
Trail of his army 123
Secretary of Stated duties of. . . . 80
Senators, U. S 120
Settlements 124
Shawneese, the Ill
Somonauk, meaning of the
name 100
8t. Anire 32-;34-;}6
St. Louis, Fort 24
St. Clair, Arthur 47
St. Clair, first county in Illinois. 47
Shabena 63
Sholby, Governor of Kentucky. 53
Slaves in Illinois 58
State Bank chartered 67
State Board of Equalization. ... 81
State internal improvements. ... 67
Starved Rock 24
Sterling, Captain 35
Street, General 65
Superintendent of Public In-
struction 80
Tablet of History 123
Tamaroa. mission at 27
Tiylor, Z , repulsed 56
Tenure of office 8l
Thevenot's map 18
Thomas, Jesse B 57
Tippecanoe, battle of 50
Todd, John, Governor of Illinois 44
Tonty 19-21-23-24
Tonica, meaning of the name. . . 100
Township officers 82
Truink lines of railroad 88
Tuscola, meaning of the name. . . 100
128
INDKX.
Vandalia 58
y i:,^o, Fraiifis ' ' 40
ViiHoniK's 41-48
Viririnia cedes Ihe Northwest to
tlie United States 46
War of 1812 50
U'asliin^^ton l)roth('rs . . * . 2!»
Wapella, meauin-r of the name'. 100
n aiiconda, meaniiiif of the
Jiiinie ^ 101
Wells. Captain 53
Washburue, E. B "7!
Waukegan— Derivation of its
Name iqi
Western posts retained 5|
»V ebb, James Watson 123
Wilkins, Colonel, Governor of "
Illinois. 3Q
Whiteside, General. . '. . ." .' .'..'."" 64
\\ inncmac " '" 52
Winii(bai:os, the '[ .. AU
Winetka, meaninf^of its name. .101
\V omen elij^ible to office S3
Wyanet, meaning of the name. . . 101
t<:\
--•TABLET-;—
luLiNuis History
1670 ]>;:,> I'liK iii>r(M{ic
UiTl
u;;-.' _
1i;T:I Mis,«i>-i[ipi HiviT Di-roviTcil.
ItiTt M.-ir.iii'tli- W int. r^ :il Oiii-i!.'"
1«7.") Miinintttc I)ir.l.
liiTti Xi. Mis>i.>niirii> in Illinnis
li;7T All. .111 / Caiii' til Illinois.
MT-- 1.11 Siilli 111 llir Niai:nrii.
U'.T'.i 1.11 Siilli- m St. .1..-. I'll Uiv. r.
\^2
1680 lUsii Lu SiiUi' . .11 the Illinois Rivir.
Irt-! 'r..nt> ill (•..niniunil of tin' Illiiuii.s.
I'W',' l.:\ >:\Ui- at tlir M.mtli of tin- Mississippi.
lti.-:i LiiSall.. Hiiuriii'.l lo Frunri-.
111-4 I.n Sail.- S:ii!..l f,.r Iho Mi"is>i|.pi.
lii'-"i DnraiUayr in ('..innian.l .f F. .rt at Chir.^tr.
n;-ii Toiity liiiilt a Fort on Uiv .Vrkausiis.
U'.-T l.a Sail.' .V— a>inaii il in Ti xa-.
li;-s Ciivi 1 . r U.'iini^ t.. Illinois.
lO-'.i Kr. 11. li aii.l Kimlisli War ..n tin- FrontiiT.
l:.*^
:-:
1690 ii-.'.io Faili. rCliiud.' Alou.-7. Di.il.
I'l'.M Ir...|ii.'i- Inviiilo Canada.
Hi'.!-' Kath. 1 Ha-li in ri!ir...is.
li't'.i'.i Fatii. r 'iraviir in Illiii.'i-.
li'.'.M (.'ontiiiin^ tlif Mi":..n of tli.^ Inimatulat.
Iti'.i.". ( ..11. ii.ii..n on ill.- 'iliii'.i- UVr
lillii; Mi.-iuiiarv Station- on I|.' raluim t.
lil'.i; Man -I - Mi-loll at I't-oria.
Ill;'" n.i iv'il.' >aii- fr.in Franii'. ^,
U\w .\.ru. - at Ml. Mi.iith .if 111. Sli"i— ippi.
1700 '.Too K ,-k,,-kia >.;'i.'.l !.v Kaili. I Finn
IToi li. ;p.i! F..ir. i.'i Li i a.iilai
ITo-.' W.ii H. :«.. 11 Fr i!...- iii.'l l.i.L-ian.!
i;o:; Kr, 1,1 I. S,i!l. ,.!, !;..! liix.r
i;ol i;i, iiMl!. l„,v. rii. r .f l..iii-i,iiia.
ITo.-, Mi--.nii Kiv, r E\i.'..!..l l'> ilir Fo :■. i,.
I7o7 i.o ,1 -.-.ir: i!> ■■•: F 1
l7o- 1) A ■ a-m li' ii! i."'iio .iia
;7"i' N. .■-;'.iii..li.iii.! Ait . lo-l i.y ilo Fr. ii. Ii
1710 I'." .,;:.' no. ->■ -la 'I ''■• Kiili'i M' rn,.-'
:7!i 1 1 Aii.i-'ii.'i. (I..'.. :"..!-• f l..'iii-iina
'71.' L.iii-i.ii.a liraiio .1 ■" 1 r- / ii
;:i.; A. .".la I . '1. '1 '" Kiiji iii'l
IT! 1 Ft. I., n A.lv.ii' ' t., 'h. Uii' i.raa.lo.
i71-. l...u;- XIV l>i. 1.
17;i-. V\v Fi.i,.li in T. \a-
!7! : l.,iu - M --l--i|.|.i I ■■liil'al.v F'iriia.i
17 w ^. „ .1.-1. ,:;- l..i.i O...
|!:V3 171;' 1 .in.p on •■!' ill.- Iii.li. ■ F'.rni. .1
1720 I T-'o :.iMi > r. . - r.r.iiulii lo 111'' lUiiii.i- 1 .I'lmri
1 7'Jl I l.arl. v..i\ in Illiii'.i-
; .--'J Fir-i '.rant <■; I..iii'i in llilii..i-
I7-.'.1 N. « iir!. all-Ill' ( ipii,.l ..f I.. Ui-i,iiia
1 ;jl Faiiiii'' •■( l.au - S. Ii. in.'-
IT-.:"' l.a" - I iirr. in \ \"alii.|.--
IT.'i'. M I'l rin I ii.'M i-i.or "f l.'.iii-iaiKi
ITJT .\_'ii. uliun H. VIM - in Hill;..!-
iT-'s 111.. ..111. Ill ..! ill. I 111. ka-au -
IT.'li M-,-a. -o- ..I Fr. ii. Ii .1 N III III /
Irs*"
1730 iT:;ii 111. Fr. 1. Ii .\oa. k III. Nai. h'/.
1 T::I Th. War I ..iilllilp-.l
!7:!-' Ill' Nal h' / 1'. -•1">"1
17:« I ..11. pain .,f III.' lii.li.-- 1{. -i_'ii 111. ir ( iiarti-r,
[' . .\ I .mil. t l..i\v..ii 'ii' Enuli-li ( iiloiiist- of
,'"'' li. ..ri;ia ami ( aroliii.i aii.l tin- Fnni li
'••'''■ ..f |,..iii.iana I- . arm .1 ..ii l.v llie anl
1T;'.7 .r In.liaii Till..- ai..iiL' iln .Mis-i-sippi,
-;, •: al- ■ .■ ;•- i-iM-oi I in ■.'.•-• .11- III I |"a.''
. . I.IAX ■
DUBUQUE X. 4
^d»^1k J O I> A J^ I K S
Xr, *l7^ X1S1>7
'' «+ \l\ .VPFl I. KlVElf^
koi:t ( iMJi
DEMENT-
^r^cy'^^
!Sa:
ENA
. *# C A I
MAP
sifw-No nil rii'.oi:
si;tti.i:mi;nts
illinois
4
0
TAYLOR REeULSEO.J^'
ROCK ISLAND^?.;^^ s« J^,^
aC*' HawV.
camp M a rch, !.?^2ft' ^ i
., ^'''"-"*
\V "liny
\
BURLINGTON <^l'
roRl M UlISON
1818
M < H E X R 1
WOODSTOCK ? S36
R
Military
Y
\
FOKT
MORRIS
.#J»J>
y
.'v-
IBRIDGE
IxiMl
^ERi[o ^^y-N'i^^^^-^ij^^L^cfe j/^*^3.r-<f
ebl) 1822
I
\
no u/ 1^30
^1
J 1^ HEXNEPIX
V V l\\ A M .
I • JSL».-,
r A It/S 11 A L
"■LACON 1S29
lisslort 1687
/METAMOR^
1811
^
1841
-/
BASE LINE
2^
S24
cr
;
O /R D
.J
I
./
' \\ 7.9r5
L I \ \i\, > (; s r o \
-^^ONTIAC
, I \ \1837
I
Kic
kt>P«=
K,//iii/i 1
1x1'
^
t-' LITTLE
EFOrix woo i^ ->>iu,:,,,.a^/, /
NaiTif ijliunuril to -y^ls
;nry 1S30 "^ w /i'^v.i\wm(
Half Days Village ^
Turnel Mar.25 1867 -^
lVj:\KBOK\ 1S04 '-r^
etfciJoliet 1673 T;*!
n Massacre ^*^ , i|
\
j.jl P. .1.1 K.M.MT.l MM,1 Tr..lr Hc^uninl liitwrcu
' , ^ I'll llliimi- ('.HiiJliv :ijiil N'l « drlfuii-.
ni^l Avriciillun' iiti ilif Im-ri'asr
ITtI l!,,T,l,r W.ir liilnciii ( iiiiaila and W w En.L'latiil.
IT).-, 4.IHIII Sa.kM.f Klciir Sl,i|,|„.l fn.m Illiiio.v
j I744i War in X,,va Sn.iia lit'w, ( n thi- Fn ii. Ii ami
I l"t" Ein:li>li ('.■IdiijsN.
I l'i> 'rill' I iliici Conipany K.iriiii li.
IT4H Fntu li Claiiii tin- Tpixr Ohin.
*J
fj^-
[i^-:^
e:-
5*3
1750 1 :,-.!. Dr Walk, r Kxplnr, > K, nnuky.
I IT")I Kiu'li-h Traill r.« i.n tin- ( )|iii..
IT.'i:.' Til.- KriMih I'rivr thi in I liil
iiiiriiiri^TililHi Iii^Lih) ilntlfoug^ 'fii^
17-Vl \Va>liin:rtiiii SumniliT^ Fort Nrcesisily.
:T.m lira.l.io.k^ Dif.at.
lT."ili War I>rilar.ii lirlworn Franrr ami Knirlanil
IT.'iT I'i'i UiMiinii'> rri'Miur of Kii^'land.
lT."i> Kn TH li KvaiU'li Furl l>iiqiii>nf.
17-'i!l Wulfc Tak. > Qui I. IT
llv_.^ I
I ^'♦^-^Do^N o ran ..
--^' I ^^. MACOMB isrs I' V (
CARTHAGE ' T^^ ^ ^
I 1 ^ ' N.
^A/fOIM JOHNS
;!i«jij'ii>j!kB.4''^p'' ".^ ■■,; • . .J !'!|iii tm
1760 ITrti Til. Fnn.li \ iii.i Cana.la
I ITCil Thi- F;ni:lisli at Uitruit.
; ITfi-' Tirriii-ry Wi-t of Mi^-U-ippj leiiiil to Spain
I \'f<\ Tr.aiy of Pari- Si.-M, il
! 17fi4 SI. I.oui;. Foiinilfil.
I 17fi.-. ?;ni'li-h Tak.' Pris-(->i..n of Iliin.ii-
I I"*^" ( ol. l{i-,,i in Kn-li-li Coninian.i ..f Illinois
17ti7 II. ailijinirii rs ai Fort I'liarir. -.
'"'■>'• Kn-li-h ( ..nri- i >r!:ani/iil t.. l.i- Ir. ,| at Ka-
I7ii'.i ka>kia.
1770 KTo \\a-llini:l..!l \i-il tin W, -t.
1771 l!,i! |.- of Aiiniainr.
177-' liriii-li \'.». 1- liiirinil at Nnvpori
; .--^ I),-trniIio 1 ..f Tia at Hiwt.m ll.irl.or
I ,„, ^^lllll^ liii; I'iKMil Makm." tin i Hi .. liiv, r lin-
I '•'■'i S.niiln rn l.in.' of ( ainma
I 177."i 'alalia I \ a.l. ■! I.y tliu .\n;.rn an-.
I 1771! I'l'i laraM.'i: of Inil. pi ml. lu i .
i 1777 ' '"■'>' s. n.l- Spii - to tin Illiimi- ( oiintry.
177"- < onipn -t "f Illinoi- i.y < larkr.
17711 Cliiikf lak. - \'inri iini 5
i780 l>ii C.il. .lolni T.iilil Military i ...v.-rm.r of Illinois.
,-^ Tin. SpaiM-li .M.,r. h Air— Ill.iioi* ami Tak. st
■■ ' Jo-. |.|i
j K"-.' -1 !;l.ini-ni of Ni w |), -i-n in Illinois.
.^., i'.aii- w.th Knirlan.l with ila- \Ii-,i-,i,,|,, „5
'; ■■ tin- \\i-i,..i, Honi,; .,f III,. \\ >
17-1 V r.'in.a ( . .i. - ihf .Nortnw.-i i,, t|„. (. >
>"■ 1. .w Fa-, ,! f,.r 111.. Sill .. 1 „f W.-ii rti l..i!..l-
-^,; Aniiiii.in- ^ul.n.it i.. i|„ ( l,.-inL' of th.- N:,v!.-a-
ti Hi ..f till- Mi-,-;|,pi 1,,, Spain.
7^: \.irlli«. -1. in T. rril..ry I •ri.'aiii/i-il.
I7-> St ( l.iii- |.;.i,,l.|i-|„.,! a(,..v,rnin.-nl!n N W Ti r
17x!( llhn,,,- ((r.M i/,,|:„si (b.irlonnty
;o.\
17eO iri"! I „„rt- K-lalili liiilat Ka-ka-kla
17'-'1 -1 ( liir jtifiali-l on tin- Wahasb.
17X' Ti. ,u ..f I',,:,,.,. Hill, ,|„, Iiii,„,i, Tritjfs
17!i:i liuri^-ui- of i..nit ill tin- W. -t
I Till \\..,yni- Vniori on tin- .Maun..-.-
171»."i Tii:it_\ ..f (in. !ivi:i..
17!»1 l!riii-li Kv;i n,,i.. 111.. I.,,k,. Ciiintr)
I 17!i7 Spuni-h In:rij,'ii. - in tin' Wt-t.
I7!i" llarri-on .s.-, ptary of Xortlnvi-urn T.rrilorv.
17i»ii I. ii-Fir-t I>.l..^'ati-t,,(oni.-r.— .
1800 l-iKi In. liana Ti rrilorv Forini.l " ;ili Wiliiam llinn
l**"l llarri-r>n .is <jo\t.rii..r.
l-ir,' Aniiriians Km hnli-il from NcwOrlfun-
l-iKt I.oiii-iana I'liri lia-fil liy tin- I nitiil Stall -
I I"*"! I.iwi, ami Clarki- .. Kxiii-ilitj,,,, to tin- Pari'ir
I IxiC, ( ,.-si,,i, ,,f Imlian l.aml- ( ipp.,-ii,.. Vim i-nm -
I«<»i l,.«i-anil ClarkfUiturn
1-iiT Fi'-I Siatiili- Hook of l,att.< l-ulilistipil in I|l|n..i.
IsiiN Trnini-iy al TippiraiiiH-
Mm Illjnni- Ti-rrll.iry Korimil
1810 lipt Ttrnni-iy Vi-it- llarri-on ai Vincinues.
1^11 i Diiitlr of TipiMcanm-.
1-I-' Inili'i! .Stairs DtT-lari:- W.ir A;:,iiu-l Eimiaml.
'•"l^t llallleof llnTliamis.
I""!! Pi an. Willi Knirlatiil.
'■"l'' I.ari'i' liiiiniL'niliiin to Illinois
'""'' Bank of 111 inn- ( harti n-.l
Til.. I ..iH.ir\ Flooi!i..| w 111. r,i , \.
1— -..X- .y'^^'^'j''lf Settlement
^^' \
t
^1
I -CVUi5±l\
1828 LJ:
RUSHVIlYe 1826^ ^-"^ftUF
'own/
-'822^.
-i-H ''-^ 1 ii i—n f N I IV ^ ,11 ^^^ ,^CS^' ^Ill'noisVlltnge l:jilu '^
11 IV ' . BASELINE ( MOTrWrrr Omt-,^ 'k ' ^--^!h--Jl&i!^Mf^ Villaq. 1 794
l)?QUINCy r I /■ I'^-ii* " y 4 1837 °v]
/I \ 1819*
1 \
J.A.PKIIIilGO^
ls,'l
\
MEREDOSIA
VIRC
ISi;
Diuft)on
Setthwt
\
<^ JACKS
M^ ^ If i'
\^ _ 18l>3
LOUISIANA"
-s PITTSFIELD 1833
>+K.HfV>kl.I.>,
IM'II
1^ (-• Oc^^^^ ^ -,
I ^ 1>*^31> /WINCHESTER
'1^1-
■V7,-— «
r
^.BISSSLL
PRAIRie
(D
I
1S21 j
j: i: V i
CARROLLTON i
,; 1821 !
\\ ! ca:
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l^lt Tlif I ouiilrv Klcroi'.til Willi I'apii Mmikv
Illinois 11 St:iic. Sli:iiirark lion. I K'nli.l i;..\
l^l"* irn..r()ii,,lHT illli. Hi ('..iiiiii. - In tin >l iti-
l.ijri h.Vnrr at Ka>U.i-kl:i
1020
1-411 Ani;u-tii- (■ Kr.m li liiaiiL'il (i^virinir l>i i itili
1M> NiH Liiii-iilulh'ii fi'rnnii.
!s)!i i;,,M-rnnr Fn-nili Ui- liiaiiL'iTiitcil .Iaiiuar\ -tli.
1850 I-"'i Ail. if lli.[}K-tiail K\i ini'ti'.n Pa--. ,1.
i-'.;: .!m. I A. M;iltt- -..n Inatiir.i ii<i\'tiin'r Jan. Tlh.
|v-,-. I'r.i- .Nln...l Law l'a~>c,L
l-:,7 Win 11 Bi— ill IiiaiiL'.l i;..vcnn.r.Ian. l-'tli.
( anipai::!! fur Stnaiiir^bip IJtMwi-t-n I.inruln ami
^"'" D.mulas, I),>^ll:la^ Kl.-rlt-.l
1360 . •■..v.vn..r jii-.ll Ii!,.l Man li i:.. .I..1im W .- .1
^^''" Sun,. ■.!..! Illin.
I'li'.lianl Vat(- IiiaU!,''.! (;..virnc.r .lanuan '.4lli-
l-iil Iniiiifusi- Enli.-tnirni ..f >..l.liir- f.ir tin- War
of the Kcbi'lliuii.
Riiliard J. OirU-liy Inaii:.''.l iJm, nmr Jan Hllli
ll..aril of Kqualizatiuii £.»talili-li. .1
1"<;!' Jc.lin M. I'ahn.T InaiiL'.l <;..v.rii..r Jan. Illli.
1870 !"•;" Ni-M- C'linstiiiitii.n K..niii'.l
l-Tl ciiicapo Kiri'.
linvcrn'.rl^irlc-liy r»- inaii::'.! li'.'.(Tn..r Jan. i:ilh,
.., It. -iiriii- 1 Jan. ',':;.!. J..liii 1.. IJ. v. raL"- Sn.
'■''•' .■.-.■.l.il Mini.
Law I'a— , .1 Uiirulaliii:; Uailr.ia.lt liar^'.-.
-I .. .^Inlliy M. ( lilloni InaUL'il <;<)V(rnor Jan -tli.
I iw I'as-id fur Orirauization of Statf Mililia.
1880 (;..virii.ir ('uHliii W. InaiiLTrated Juii intli
l-M .,.
riu- Mat.- n.l.t I'ai.l.
iH.v.rinir < ulloiii 1<.-I;:n(.| Man li llli. Jiiliii
\1. Ilainill..n Sii, ,r,Ml,-.l Him.
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Kihvaril ('nle- Iiiau;;(l Gminior Di a iiiJhi "uli
1810
I:
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lo l.i-i:ali/.i Slav.rv Kaikil.
1820,
1 ■■•:.".
1 -■."'■.
l,aKa>.tI.' Vi-it.'.l llllii"i-,
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1830.
1840.
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1 --.",1
is:!it
Itrvi-min ilf till- Stat.' 1..1 111.- Y. ar- l^.'.l all.l
is:<0, :)1TH.!«,S.
1850,
1860
1830
iKiii
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Til.' Sank W.ir
1870,
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lilark Hawk S.nl I.. K..rir.— M.iiin..-
1880,
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hiiiiiin>i' Internal liiipriiviiii(iii> H. .;nn.
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Klijah 1*. I...V. j.,y Killi.l
Til. .Ilia* I'arlin Inaiiir'.l tiovirnur n('ci.'nil.ir*tl.
l-:^^'
( .illap>f ..f tin- Intiriial Iiiiproviiiifiit S\«tini.
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Failiiri- of iIk- Stair l!;iiik.
i^ J.
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18-
lO
111. .Ilia- K.ir.l IiiauL''.! i;'.virn..r Dii .nil., r -lli
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A I.i.aii ..f fl.tVNi.iHKi N,M;.,|jai,-a ti. ...nipl. ti-
1-
till- Illiii..i> and MicliL'au Cnuai.
Wh.rl.. N.|,„... .
,,f I'.T-...,-
1 2.282
55.2 1 1
157.575
- 476.183
851.470
1.711.951
2,539,891
3.077,871
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ST.LOUIS* ,/
Fust Stewii Boat iSI'i'm jf'i^iafs fei
^oCAHOK
PRAIRII
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if ,V. .. Di-.-,ign
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hunt 1782
o
HISTORICAL
MAP
Illinois
SHOWING EARLY
Discoveries, Explorations, Indian Villages, Missions,
Trails, Battle Fields, Forts, Block Houses,
First Settlements and Mail Routes,
ALSO
A Chronological Tablet of Illinois History
Arranges in
CENTURIES AHD DECADES,
I!x IMTrs HLANcnARI),
'I'll. 111-.. ..\. r> in.l < ..n.pn-t- ..f 'In' .N.irtliw.--' Ill-ti.riral
Map ..f Ihi- I lulnl Slates, eli-
( IIK .\l.():
TIIK XATION.M, SClIool, 1 ri!NlSlII.\(i C« >.
No-. lU ,\Mi :u; M\iii~..'>; Siukkt.
Is-;;.
^^,^ 1 .
ST.GENEVIET
r^
-<
■^ KLiW A>^DSVII,LE lH(.r, I
I A D I ( s () \ 1
l„n Sitlhnnht 1<S12
1SU2
/^ \^JuJij Settltnwnt /cll 1 1. TON'S '
CIIAMUi;U'SK01!T [ ^^"2 i S»r.i.jf-USM
klAl700 '^'-^ »eoS
[E DU PONT . ^^^^ TOrHVfiVS
1814 \ '^xJURKEXHtLL 1798 ,
: 1 Vill^^X , I \ M ■
r. c i; A (I u :
ESIDE
)N1794
s;,FOUNTAIN ]/7
o i:
)l{Tlll.\|{T._..,
7-Mt 7^ ISOO
MtJOTvEb
^im;aii!IE
i.A .1
T T Mc l:|an:sboro
' '" ^EMl4d 1^ H^Trr^L TO xN
9 MANTUA^f
1830 ^^
'CARMI 1815
W II L
1815f
^ r.spH'-^' ^'JS \, ^-N I
Dillaid sSeWtir.i
1S07
CAPE GIRARDEAU °||f
1779 ' '
.a TOWN
LNEY
m'^^>^ 1S41 »»outi~T
I ( II L A \ I>
1 L A"V\^^W>* C E
1*
X*:
Shauif^ Village
. ^ ^jSHAWNEETOWN
X
V
IZABETH
C
V
EXPLANATION
Indian Village
IVIissions
A
I
Location of Events
Forts
Trails and Routes ^
The date beside the name of a county
shows the year of its orf^anization.
The date beside a town shows the year of
:ho first settlement at tho placo.
a
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